[BaLtO]

Latest iPods won't work with non-Apple software

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticised Apple's attempt to quash efforts to help the latest iPods and iPhones work with non-Apple software such as the Linux operating system.

Earlier this month, a lawyer from Apple's legal counsel, O'Melveny & Myers, managed to get an open-source project called the iPodhash pulled from Bluwiki, a free website used to create Wiki pages, saying the project is illegal under the terms of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

"It has come to our attention that a website you operate, www.bluwiki.com, is disseminating information designed to circumvent Apple's FairPlay digital rights management system," wrote O'Melveny & Myers representative Ian Ramage in an email that was later posted to Bluwiki. "FairPlay is considered anti-circumvention technology under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA explicitly prohibits the dissemination of information that can be used to circumvent such technology."

Bluwiki's founder, Sam Odio, complied with the takedown request, but on Tuesday he said that iPodhash's developer is not trying to get around Apple's copy protection. "He's not developing software to unencrypt the songs," he said. "What he's actually doing is unencrypting the database."

Here's how the EFF explained the matter in a posting to its blog by senior staff attorney Fred von Lohmann:

In September 2007, Apple introduced new software into iTunes and the iPod that runs a cryptographic operation on iTunes data, creating a special number called a checksum hash. The number is used to ensure that the iPod is talking to Apple's iTunes software, rather than other programs such as Winamp or Songbird.

The Apple checksum was quickly reverse-engineered, allowing those other music-playing applications to be used with Apple's devices. Recently, however, Apple shipped new versions of the iPhone and iPod touch that use a new crypto technique that has not been cracked. That's what the engineers were discussing on Bluwiki, von Lohmann said.

"Although it doesn't appear that the authors had yet figured out the new iTunesDB hashing mechanism, Apple's lawyers nevertheless sent a nastygram to the wiki administrator," he wrote.

Neither Apple nor O'Melveny & Myers responded to requests for comment for this story.

In an interview, von Lohmann said Apple was using the DMCA to stifle free speech. "Apple is essentially saying here that people can't even talk about the mechanisms that Apple uses to lock in its music to the iTunes software," he said.

The checksum mechanism does not protect copyright on iTunes music; it's just supposed to confirm that the iPhone is communicating with iTunes, he added. "Nobody has ever suggested a purpose of this other than forcing iPod owners to use Apple's software," he said. "It's an anticompetitive tie-in device."

Because iTunes does not run on Linux, the iPodhash project is important to the Linux community, Odio said.

Founded in 2004, Bluwiki is a side project for Odio, an internet entrepreneur who said he supports the iPodhash project even though he's not involved with it.

Bluwiki is used by a variety of projects. It serves as a meeting place for video game enthusiasts and hosts tips and tricks info for a Facebook game called Pack Rat. The site gets about a million page views per month and is supported by donations, Odio said.

He hopes to be able to put the iPodhash project back on the site. "I regret having to do this," he said. "I may be able to put the site back on-line, but quite honestly it's unlikely because I can't afford a legal battle with Apple."

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/inde...newsid=107617&

[Anarion]

To be honest Apple is just extremely greedy company. I doubt that Steve does anything like Bill (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Also, if you compare Nokia and Apple they are like completely opposite.

[techniqu]

even though i kind of agree with you with all the things apple has been pulling to kill off 3rd parties, bill is the richest person in the world. with so much money, what the hell else is he going to do to be honest lol. even if he wanted to spend all of it theres only so much a person can think of that they'd want to buy.

also don't forget through m$'s life m$'s business model has been to copy other companies' ideas and to toss ridiculous amounts of money into R&D and advertising, killing off the smaller companies.

[power666]

Originally Posted by Anarion

To be honest Apple is just extremely greedy company. I doubt that Steve does anything like Bill (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Also, if you compare Nokia and Apple they are like completely opposite.

Apple has been known to do things like this occasionally. They support Project RED and put $100,000 against proposition 8 in California.

[batuchka]

Thanks for the info but i rate Apple an even greater evil than Dell, HP, etc DIY + OS of your choice (not preloaded) FTW!!! Just took Fedora 10 out for a spin yesterday...whoa!!!

[BaLtO]

Originally Posted by Anarion

To be honest Apple is just extremely greedy company. I doubt that Steve does anything like Bill (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Also, if you compare Nokia and Apple they are like completely opposite.

That one is personal philanthropy. Many people mistaken by linking it to the actions of Microsoft ...

Like what people have said, it's hypocrisy to Microsoft.

Does steve ballmer do that? No ya?

And the largest individual donation is not bill gates unfortunately.
It is Warren Buffett. And the foundation should call under his name instead.

[BaLtO]

Originally Posted by techniqu

even though i kind of agree with you with all the things apple has been pulling to kill off 3rd parties, bill is the richest person in the world. with so much money, what the hell else is he going to do to be honest lol. even if he wanted to spend all of it theres only so much a person can think of that they'd want to buy.

also don't forget through m$'s life m$'s business model has been to copy other companies' ideas and to toss ridiculous amounts of money into R&D and advertising, killing off the smaller companies.

It like biggest evil compared to smaller evil.
M$ have been causing patent trolls to attack Open Source. And if people remembered, they have anti-linux site set up last time ...
M$ is one of the reason yahoo has no place to go. Just think of it, if M$ wants to buy yahoo last time, it will be blocked by google and the government. So Yahoo ended up, stuck in the middle ...

Furtheremore, it "sponsors" SCO.

It has effectively killed off netscape, and wordperfect growth through its windows.

And ya recently use some tactics to attack the vmware conference.
http://www.vmwarecostswaytoomuch.com/

Their case studies profiles are not accurate, such that M$ products are projected to be better than competitors. (Such as comparing latest M$ product with an outdated or misconfigured competitor's product). It's proven.

[zenru]

Originally Posted by power666

Apple has been known to do things like this occasionally. They support Project RED and put $100,000 against proposition 8 in California.

Somehow I feel all the product RED stuffs are ripping off our money. They mark up the price, just for charity, so from organization point of view, they don't lose out at all cause we are paying more for their "donation" to the charity.

[t4ROKuN-]

DRM has to go, for goodness sake.

Seriously all the Titans in the industry are money and power hungry capitalist.

[shard]

Originally Posted by zenru

Somehow I feel all the product RED stuffs are ripping off our money. They mark up the price, just for charity, so from organization point of view, they don't lose out at all cause we are paying more for their "donation" to the charity.

Apple's Product RED iPods are priced the same as the normal iPods.

[ORiN]

They are donating to charities in order to get tax rebates. Apple shouldn't be killing off open-source programs though unless they are confident that they can come up with something much better themselves.

[BaLtO]

Originally Posted by t4ROKuN-

DRM has to go, for goodness sake.

Seriously all the Titans in the industry are money and power hungry capitalist.

The upper management levels of those media companies dun know much about the technical(Restricted players) and social(There's no freedom in DRM) issues of DRM ... All they know is to protect their properties.
And anyway, DRM increase the cost of their products, and also reduces their reputation and does not solve much of the issues.

And even if software companies, are "forced" to provide, cos there's demand ... If they don't, some other companies will do so eventually.

The main culprits = Media Companies.

[techniqu]

yeah those media companies are definitely at fault, but i think the people who lobbied within these media corporations in support for DRM are the real bastards. the people at the top are all old, rich, and have no knowledge of computers. they just want a way to get people to stop stealing their product, so they trust these lying morons when they tell them DRM is the answer.

honestly a 10 year old script kiddy could have developed something better than DRM.

[pclinux]

DIY PC is the best. Don't buy any Apple products. They can do what they like, I don't give a damn.

[BaLtO]

Originally Posted by pclinux

DIY PC is the best. Don't buy any Apple products. They can do what they like, I don't give a damn.

So far, laptops sales is increasing compared to DIY.
When it comes to laptop, too bad, you can't DIY like PC ...

Apple I guess Macbook sales is rising instead.