[mythtv] using myth as a remote client of iTunes.

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Sun Mar 19 19:33:36 UTC 2006


On 03/19/2006 02:21 PM, Colin Guthrie wrote:
> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>   
>>> Why not just download your songs from iTunes with 'PyMusique'  (
>>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7321263/  and http://drmnews.com/pymusique/ )
>>> and avoid the DRM/DCMA problem altogether (songs downloaded with PyMusique
>>> are not DRM protected in the first place).
>>>       
>> That may avoid the DRM problem, but certainly does *not* avoid the DCMA 
>> problem.  PyMusique strips the DRM from the song as it's downloaded, 
>> which is explicitly forbidden by the DMCA.
>>     
>
> While I'm not really sure about this, when I read the stuff about 
> PyMusique a while back, it was my understanding that the content is not 
> protected when it's downloaded. The DRM is normally added in by iTunes 
> when it interacts with iTMS. Thus PyMusique neatly sidesteps the whole 
> DRM issue and possible the DMCA issue as it's not circumvention, it's 
> avoidance. But IANAL either ;)
>
> I could also being getting all this totally wrong.

I don't know for sure, either, but I'm basing my information on the 
first article linked by Buzz, which is headed, "Teen builds Linux 
workaround for iTunes: Program lets users buy music, but DRM tech 
stripped."  The article itself isn't specific about how the "DRM tech 
[is] stripped," and leaves the possibility open that it works as you've 
described.

However, in the event that iTunes is adding the DRM, since the Apple 
iTunes application is the only application authorized to download files 
from Apple, Apple could easily make the argument that iTunes itself is 
the "technological protection" for the copyrighted material.  Since 
PyMusique circumvents iTunes...

Remember, nothing in the DMCA says that the "technological protections" 
must be formidable--thus the fact that it's illegal in the US to possess 
a copy of DeCSS that can be easily made machine executable, even though 
CSS is a joke.

Mike




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