Petteri Pyyny
20 Oct 2001 4:32
Microsoft confirmed Friday that their copy protection scheme used in Windows Media digital right management software has been successfully cracked by "Beale Screamer". Crack that is widely available in various underground sites, strips off the piece from the WMA or WMV file that prevents copying the file.
News are extremely bad for Microsoft as it has strongly pushed its way to the entertainment world trying to get deals with movie studios and record labels in order to get WM used as a standard in digital media distribution online.
Anyway, Microsoft's DRM software has been built in way that does allow copy-protection upgrades, so even that songs that are previously locked with WM technology can be unlocked, new songs can contain new copy-protections. But it is almost certain that those locks will be cracked as well -- history has proven that all copy protection methods can be cracked.