Hacker releases new tool to circumnavigate Microsoft DRM

No one seems to really take much notice of Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace, except for hackers that is, with ”Divine Tao” announcing a new tool that gets around Microsoft’s Windows Media DRM.

Writing on Doom9′s Forum, “the in-place to be for everyone interested in DVD conversion”, Divine Tao, says his new tool uncovers “the individual keys from Microsoft’s DRM blackbox components (“IBX”), up to version 11.0.6000.6324″.

Diving Tao also supplies an updated version of FairUse4WM (1.3Fix-2), a freeware utility that strips DRM from protected songs purchased from Zune Marketplace.

FairUse4WN’s debut last August sparked controversy when Microsoft accused its creator of stealing its intellectual property to create the tool. Microsoft released two patches to combat the hack within a month, and on both occasions they were defeated by another yet hack.

Microsoft was never able to track down the creator of FairUse4WN – someone calling themselves “viodentia” – but legal threats seemed to put an end to the affair.

As an aside, unless you know the URL for Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace, you’d have a hard time finding it. Typing “Zune Marketplace” into Google brings up everything BUT the actual Zune Marketplace. The top listing is www.zunemarketplace.com, which appears to be a third-party forum about the Zune mp3 player. You’d think that if Microsoft was serious about Zune Marketplace it would either splash out and buy the domain name, or threaten legal action.

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