Wikipedia

FairPlay

This article is about digital rights management system. For other uses, seeFair Play (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withAirPlay.

FairPlayis a family ofdigital rights management(DRM) technologies developed byApple Inc.for protectingvideos,booksandappsand historically formusic.[1]

Music

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The initial version of FairPlay was created to protect music on theiTunes Store,and is the only version of FairPlay that is no longer actively used.[2]

Technical details

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FairPlay is built into theMP4multimedia file format as anencryptedAACaudio layer. FairPlay-protected files are regularMP4container fileswith an encryptedAACaudio layer. The layer is encrypted using theAESalgorithm.The master key required to decrypt the audio layer is also stored in encrypted form in the MP4 container file. The key required to decrypt the master key is called the "user key".[3][4]When a user registers a new computer withiTunes,the device requests authorization from Apple's servers, thereby gaining a user key. Upon attempting to play a file, the master key stored within the file is then matched to the user key, and if successful, allows playing.[4]FairPlay allows music to be synchronized to an unlimited number ofiPodsand tracks to be burned to an unlimited number ofCDs,though a given playlist can only be burned 7 times without being modified (a limitation which can be circumvented by changing a song's placement). Playback is limited to five computers which were authorized through iTunes;[5]a computer can be deauthorized and another authorized in its place.[6]Before April 2004, the limits were ten playlist burns, and three computers; Apple reduced the playlist limit to seven due to demands from record labels.[7]

Lawsuit

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In January 2005, an iTunes customer filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company brokeantitrust lawsby using FairPlay with iTunes in a way that purchased music would work only with the company's own music player, the iPod, freezing out competitors.[8]In March 2011,Bloombergreported that Apple's then-CEOSteve Jobswould be required to provide testimony through adeposition.[9]In May 2012, the case was changed into aclass actionlawsuit.[10][8]Around the same time, the main antitrust allegation was changed to cover the belief that Apple had deliberately updated the iTunes software with security patches in a way that prevented synchronization compatibility with competing music stores.[11]All iPod owners who had purchased their device between September 12, 2006, and March 31, 2009, were included in the class action lawsuit, unless they opted out.[10][8]In December 2014, Apple went to trial against the claims raised, with the opposing party's plaintiff lawyers seeking $350 million in damages for nearly eight million affected customers.[12][13]A few weeks later, the case was closed, with the jury deciding in Apple's favor, citing a then-new version of iTunes as being a "genuine product improvement".[14][15]

Circumvention/removal

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The restrictions imposed by FairPlay, mainly limited device compatibility, have sparked criticism, with a lawsuit allegingantitrustviolation that was eventually closed in Apple's favor, and various successful efforts to remove the DRM protection from files, with Apple continually updating its software to counteract such projects.

After the introduction of the FairPlay system, multiple parties have attempted and succeeded to circumvent or remove the encryption of FairPlay-protected files. In October 2006,Jon Johansenannounced he hadreverse engineeredFairPlay and would start to license the technology to companies wanting their media to play on Apple's devices.[16][17]Various media publications have written about DRM removal software,[18][19]though Apple has continually made efforts in updating its software to counteract these options, resulting in upgraded DRM systems and discontinued DRM removal software.[20][21]

RealNetworks and Harmony technology

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In July 2004,RealNetworksintroduced its Harmony technology. The Harmony technology was built into the company'sRealPlayerand allowed users of theRealPlayer Music Storeto play their songs on theiPod.[22][23]In a press release, RealNetworks argued that Harmony was a boon to consumers that "frees" them "from the limitation of being locked into a specific portable device when they buy digital music."[24]In response, Apple issued a statement:[25][26]

We are stunned that RealNetworks has adopted the tactics and ethics of ahackerto break into the iPod, and we are investigating the implications of their actions under theDMCAand other laws.

RealNetworks launched an Internet petition titled "Hey Apple! Don't break my iPod", encouraging iPod users to sign up to support Real's action. The petition backfired, with comments criticizing Real's tactics, though some commentators also supported it.[27]At the end of 2004, Apple had updated its software in a way that broke the Harmony technology, prompting RealNetworks to promise a then-upcoming fix.[28]

In August 2005, anSEC filingby RealNetworks disclosed that continued use of the Harmony technology put themselves at considerable risk because of the possibility of a lawsuit from Apple, which would be expensive to defend against, even if the court agreed that the technology was legal. Additionally, the possibility that Apple could change its technology to purposefully "break" Harmony's function raised the possibility that Real's business could be harmed.[29][30]

Hymn
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Hymn (which stands forHear Your Music aNywhere) was an open-source tool that allowed users to remove the FairPlay DRM of music bought from theiTunes Store.[31][32][33]It was later supplanted by QTFairUse6.[34]The Hymn project later shut down after a cease and desist from Apple.[35]

Steve Jobs' "Thoughts on Music" open letter

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On February 6, 2007,Steve Jobs,then-CEOof Apple, published an open letter titled "Thoughts on Music" on the Apple website, calling on the "big four"record labelsto sell their music without DRM technology. According to the letter, Apple did not want to use DRM, but was forced to by the four major music labels, with whom Apple has license agreements for iTunes sales of music. Jobs' main points were:[36][37]

  • DRM has never been, and will never be, perfect.Hackerswill always find a method to break DRM.
  • DRM restrictions only hurt people using music legally. Illegal users aren't affected by DRM.
  • The restrictions of DRM encourage users to obtain unrestricted music, which is usually only possible via illegal methods; thus, circumventing iTunes and their revenues.
  • The vast majority of music is sold without DRM viaCDs,which have proven commercial success.

Reactions

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Although the open letter initially caused mixed industry reactions, Apple signed a deal with a majorrecord labelthe following month to offer iTunes customers a purchase option for a higher-quality, DRM-free version of the label's tracks.

Jobs' letter was met with mixed reactions.Bloomberghighlighted several viewpoints.David Pakman,President of non-DRM music retailereMusic,agreed with Jobs, stating that "consumers prefer a world where the media they purchase is playable on any device, regardless of its manufacturer, and is not burdened by arbitrary usage restrictions. DRM only serves to restrictconsumer choice,prevents a larger digital music market from emerging, and often makes consumers unwitting accomplices to the ambitions of technology companies ". Mike Bebel, CEO of music subscription service Ruckus, explained his view that the letter was an effort to shift focus, saying that" This is a way for Steve Jobs to take the heat off the fact that he won't open up his proprietary DRM.... The labels have every right to protect their content, and I don't see it as a vow of good partnership to turn the tables on the labels and tell them they should just get rid of all DRM... He is trying to spin the controversy. "An anonymous music label executive said that" it's ironic that the guy who has the most successful example of DRM at every step of the process, the one where people bought boatloads of music last Christmas, is suddenly changing his tune ".[38]In an article fromThe New York Times,Ted Cohen,managing partner at TAG Strategic, commented that the change could be "a clear win for the consumer electronics device world, but a potential disaster for the content companies". TheRecording Industry Association of Americaput particular emphasis on Jobs' self-rejected idea about licensing its FairPlay technology to other companies, saying that such licensing would be "a welcome breakthrough and would be a real victory for fans, artists and labels".[39]

iTunes Store DRM changes

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In April 2007, Apple and the record labelEMIannounced that iTunes Store would begin offering, as an additional higher purchasing option, tracks fromEMI's catalogencoded as 256 kbit/s AAC without FairPlay or any other DRM.[40]In January 2009, Apple announced that the entire iTunes Store music catalog would become available in the higher-quality, DRM-free format, after reaching agreements with all the major record labels as well as "thousands of independent labels".[41][42][43]Apple Music,Apple's subscription-based music streaming service launched on June 30, 2015,[44]uses the DRM technology.[45]

FairPlay Streaming

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FairPlay Streaming(FPS) protects video transferred over HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) on iOS devices, in Apple TV, and in Safari on macOS. The content provider's server first delivers video to the client application encrypted with the content key using the AES cipher. The application then requests a session key from the device's FairPlay module. The session key is a randomly generated nonce which is RSA encrypted with the provider's public key and delivered to the provider's server. The provider's server encrypts the content key using the session key and delivers it to the FairPlay module, which decrypts it and uses it to decrypt the content for playback.[46]

On iOS and Apple TV, the session key handling and content decryption is done in the kernel, while on macOS it is done using Safari's FairPlay Content Decryption Module.

Books

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Apps

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Apps downloaded from theApp Storeare protected andcode signedusing a variant of FairPlay DRM for apps. FairPlay DRM creates a public/private key pair when a device is registered with an iCloud account, and encrypting app encryption keys using the "public" key (which is kept on Apple's servers) in order to decrypt them on the device using the "private" key.[47][better source needed]

Problems

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In July 2012, an issue with the creation of FairPlay-protected apps caused binaries to become corrupt and stop working.[48]

A flaw allowing a form of man-in-the-middle attack can be used to install malware when an iOS device is connected to a computer.[49]

References

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  1. ^Bishop, Bryan (February 25, 2012)."Apple's FairPlay DRM for iBooks cracked by Requiem app".The Verge.RetrievedSeptember 11,2023.
  2. ^Fisher, William W. III (June 15, 2004).iTunes: How Copyright, Contract, and Technology Shape the Business of Digital Media — A Case Study(PDF)(Report).Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Societyresearch publication.RetrievedJune 17,2023.
  3. ^Venkataramu, Ramya."Analysis and enhancement of Apple's FairPlay digital rights management"(PDF).Department of Computer Science.San Jose State University.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  4. ^abDilger, Daniel Eran (February 26, 2007)."How FairPlay Works: Apple's iTunes DRM Dilemma".Roughly Drafted.Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2017.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  5. ^Mossberg, Walter S. (August 11, 2005)."ITunes's Usage Limits".Wall Street Journal.ISSN0099-9660.RetrievedJune 17,2023.
  6. ^Wherry, Mark (November 2003)."iTunes Music Store".Sound on Sound.RetrievedJune 17,2023.
  7. ^"ITunes Birthday Gift: More Songs".Wired.April 28, 2004.ISSN1059-1028.RetrievedJune 17,2023.
  8. ^abcGolson, Jordan (May 9, 2012)."iPod Lawsuit Against Apple Given Class-Action Status".MacRumors.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  9. ^Slivka, Eric (March 22, 2011)."Steve Jobs Required to Provide Deposition in 2005 iTunes Antitrust Case".MacRumors.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  10. ^abCheng, Jacqui (May 9, 2012)."iPod owners being notified of class-action antitrust suit against Apple".Ars Technica.Condé Nast.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  11. ^Tibken, Shara (December 1, 2014)."Apple's iPod antitrust class action suit: All you need to know (FAQ)".CNET.CBS Interactive.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  12. ^Singleton, Micah (December 2, 2014)."Apple is just now going to trial over the music DRM it killed in 2009".The Verge.Vox Media.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
  13. ^Mullin, Joe (December 2, 2014)."Was Apple's iPod DRM illegal? Starting today, a jury decides".Ars Technica.Condé Nast.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  14. ^Wakabayashi, Daisuke (December 16, 2014)."Apple Wins iPod Antitrust Trial".The Wall Street Journal.Dow Jones & Company.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.(subscription required)
  15. ^Yuhas, Alan (December 16, 2014)."Antitrust lawsuit against Apple: 10 years in the making, shot down in three hours".The Guardian.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  16. ^Gannes, Liz (October 2, 2006)."DVD Jon Fairplays Apple".Gigaom.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
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  18. ^"How Fairplay Works on Apple iTunes Content, like iTunes Movies/TV Shows, Music and eBook?".9to5Mac.June 19, 2014.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  19. ^Hamilton, Dave (September 2, 2015)."How iTunes Movie DRM-Removal Software Keeps Me Honest".The Mac Observer.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  20. ^Tanous, Jim (September 2, 2015)."The iTunes DRM Removal Saga: NoteBurner and a Look Back at Requiem".TekRevue.Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2017.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  21. ^Bozovic, Novak (April 17, 2018)."TuneFab Apple Music Converter Review – Quite Simple Yet Quite Powerful!".Technadu.RetrievedMay 5,2019.
  22. ^Cohen, Peter (July 26, 2004)."RealNetworks' Harmony promises iPod compatibility".Macworld.International Data Group.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  23. ^Bangeman, Eric (July 26, 2004)."RealNetworks cracks the FairPlay code".Ars Technica.Condé Nast.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  24. ^"RealNetworks introduces Harmony, enabling consumers to buy digital music that plays on all popular devices".RealNetworks.July 26, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon August 4, 2004.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  25. ^Dalrymple, Jim (July 29, 2004)."Apple responds to RealNetworks iPod 'hacker' tactics".Macworld.International Data Group.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  26. ^Bangeman, Eric (July 29, 2004)."Apple responds to RealNetworks FairPlay hack".Ars Technica.Condé Nast.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  27. ^Best, Jo (August 18, 2004)."Real v Apple music war: iPod freedom petition backfires".ZDNet.CBS Interactive.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  28. ^Cohen, Peter (December 16, 2004)."RealNetworks promises iPod lockout fix".Macworld.International Data Group.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  29. ^"Real reveals real Apple legal threat".Macworld.International Data Group.August 10, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2016.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  30. ^"Real admits risk of Apple lawsuit".AppleInsider.August 10, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2015.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  31. ^WIRED Staff."FairPlay Bad. PlayFair Good".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.RetrievedFebruary 4,2023.
  32. ^Smith, Tony (January 13, 2005)."Apple brings discord to Hymn".The Register.RetrievedFebruary 4,2023.
  33. ^"The history of Hymn, JHymn, and QTFairUse".reincubate.March 17, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 4,2023.
  34. ^"QTFairUse6: is Hymn finally back to strip FairPlay on iTunes 6?".Engadget.July 20, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 4,2023.
  35. ^Evans, Jonny (February 25, 2008)."iTunes legal silences Hymn".The Standard.Archived fromthe originalon February 19, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 4,2023.
  36. ^"Thoughts on Music".Apple Inc.February 6, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2007.RetrievedJune 23,2017.
  37. ^Kim, Arnold (February 6, 2007)."Steve Jobs 'Thoughts on Music' - Asks for No Digital Rights Management".MacRumors.RetrievedJune 23,2017.
  38. ^Hesseldahl, Arik (February 7, 2007)."Steve Jobs' Music Manifesto".Bloomberg.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  39. ^Markoff, John (February 7, 2007)."Jobs Calls for End to Music Copy Protection".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  40. ^Arrington, Michael(April 2, 2007)."EMI, Apple To Sell DRM-Free Music for $1.29/song".TechCrunch.AOL.RetrievedJune 23,2017.
  41. ^Johnson, Bobbie (January 6, 2009)."Apple drops DRM copy protection from millions of iTunes songs".The Guardian.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  42. ^McLean, Prince (January 6, 2009)."iTunes Store goes DRM Free, offers over-the-air downloads".AppleInsider.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  43. ^Cohen, Peter (January 6, 2009)."iTunes Store goes DRM-free".Macworld.International Data Group.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  44. ^Popper, Ben; Singleton, Micah (June 8, 2015)."Apple announces its streaming music service, Apple Music".The Verge.Vox Media.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  45. ^Caldwell, Serenity; Keller, Joseph (July 18, 2016)."Apple Music will now let you store your music library DRM-free".iMore.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
  46. ^Apple Inc. (2016),FairPlay Streaming Overview,https://developer.apple /streaming/fps/FairPlayStreamingOverview.pdf.Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  47. ^"How does iOS app DRM work, exactly?".Ask Different.RetrievedSeptember 11,2023.
  48. ^Foresman, Chris (July 5, 2012)."Recent iOS, Mac app crashes linked to botched FairPlay DRM".Ars Technica.RetrievedSeptember 11,2023.
  49. ^Kovacs, Eduard (March 16, 2016)."iOS Malware" AceDeceiver "Exploits Flaw in Apple DRM".SecurityWeek.RetrievedSeptember 11,2023.
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