Apple issues C&D takedown order to Hymn project software
Posted Feb 20th 2008 1:30PM by Erica Sadun
Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Bad Apple
Wow. Good thing that DoubleTwist is waiting in the OS X wings for anyone who wants to rip DRM from their iTunes purchases. Apple just issued a C&D off to the ISP hosting the Hymn-inspired Requiem software. DrmBytes, a hymn moderator, posted that hymn-project.org will no longer allow links to DRM-stripping software, writing "We've complied with the C&D and removed all DRM breaking software from the site."
The Hymn Project was established to allow people to use the music they'd purchased on the device of their choice. DrmBytes suggests you avoid purchasing your music from vendors who mandate DRM. You should still be able to use burn-and-rip solutions like MyTunes and DRM Dumpster for now.
Tags: DRM, hymn, hymn-project, itunes, Takedown
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-20-2008 @ 2:02PM
Jon said...
Looks like rapidshare took it off as well. So just look for a hundred sites to post alternate links shortly... Expect a new release in 3 weeks when a 100 new developers join because of the publicity.
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2-20-2008 @ 2:10PM
haracas said...
incoming bittorrent link in 3, 2, 1...
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2-20-2008 @ 2:12PM
Jon said...
Link back for digg:
http://www.digg.com/software/DRM_Stripping_Requiem_Project_Attacked_by_Apple_Lawyer_Bots
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2-20-2008 @ 2:21PM
dan said...
Oh dear. I hope it wasn't my fault! :-O
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/20/dvd-jon-breaks-free-of-itunes-drm/#c10565595
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2-20-2008 @ 2:27PM
mnit said...
Erm. What's with the pirate logo? These guys are buying music legitimately...
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2-20-2008 @ 2:50PM
Dale said...
EVERYONE WHO BUYS MUSIC IS A PIRATE!!!!!
- The Recording Industry Association Of America
2-20-2008 @ 2:46PM
walkerjs said...
Meh, I de-DRM my music (all music actually) by just using Audio Hijack Pro to record it straight off iTunes. Or DVD player, or YouTube, or whatever. Can you hear it? Then you can record it.
Recording industry....recording...wonder how one could get a....recording of something. If only there were a way to record it. Perhaps some digital way even.
Naw, too much of a pain. Just leave it to the cartels who are 'authorized' to record things. Regular people aren't allowed to record anything. Including your own voice. To do that you need to go to an authorized recording studio and sign a bunch of contracts, and pay a bunch of money. Then maybe they'll allow you to record, then sell it at their profit.
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2-20-2008 @ 3:18PM
Bob S. said...
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://hymn-project.org
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2-20-2008 @ 3:38PM
David said...
The wayback machine is not going to help here because Requiem was only posted in the past month, and it was on the forums...
Also, I agree about the pirate logo, that's really not helping!
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2-20-2008 @ 3:40PM
marc said...
does this mean apple is NOT going to announce drm-free music next week?
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2-20-2008 @ 3:42PM
David said...
Uh, anyone happen to have a rapidshare or torrent link for Requiem 1.0? I really miss the days of JHymn, and I have a fair amount of music I purchased that needs stripping... Thanks!
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2-20-2008 @ 4:47PM
MossPile said...
Requiem 1.1 will be released - by hook or by crook - as soon as we've got it finished.
In the meantime, you can email me for a copy of ffh.
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2-20-2008 @ 4:48PM
MossPile said...
And it'd probably help if I included an email address. mosspile (at) gmail.com.
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2-20-2008 @ 4:58PM
tylerjp said...
This may be unpopular, however, Apple needs to show the recording companies that they actively prevent tools which help SHARE music without DRM. How else will they ever get the trust from these companies to allow for un-DRMed music sales? Recording companies are worried that iTunes users will not go pirating (sharing) music like back in the Napster days.
Good job Apple...free the music (making it free will never happen...nor should it.)
Wipe the tears out of your eyes, and look at the bigger picture.
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2-20-2008 @ 5:18PM
David said...
I meant to click reply on my post below this.
2-20-2008 @ 5:15PM
David said...
tylerjp, I completely disagree. Has DRM stopped or slowed music sharing even the tiniest bit? No. People who want to pirate music can still do it, probably easier than can someone who wants to download music legally.
So who does DRM affect? The paying customers; the people who pay more for a stripped-down, compressed piece of music than do people who buy a CD and get their music at a much higher quality.
You are right about one thing: the record companies are scared of digital music after the whole Napster thing. They think that because the music is already digitally encoded it will be easier to share than a CD. They obviously have never used iTunes or any other piece of music software, because ripping a CD is about as easy as it gets.
DRM is protecting nobody from nothing. It hurts the customers and, if anything, PROMOTES PIRACY!
"Good job Apple...free the music" you say. I agree.
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2-20-2008 @ 6:19PM
tylerjp said...
David,
I agree that DRM is useless and only creates issues for paying customers. My point is that Apple must take steps to address the problem that the RIAA has with DRM-free files.
The Hymn project is a great idea from a DRM standpoint. The problem is with the "sharing" with family and friends. Will it happen? Yes, in a portion of the market. Would these people not be exposed to the artists otherwise...probably not. It there more upside to the artist and RIAA in this situation...potentially.
It is not about sharing as much as it is about making it easy. Apple nor any other online music reseller can be associated even in a distant capacity to a product or service which facilitates file sharing...it would be the end of progress made so far on DRM.
2-21-2008 @ 2:22PM
Joeyslaptop said...
Hey, I want that. It's always a pain to have to put the song in iMovie with an image, save the movie as aiff, and then import it back into iTunes... all just so I can use the song in a FCP project for a school presentation.
I wish I would have known about this yesterday. If I buy the CD, I can do whatever I want with my music (a lot of times, cheaper than I can buy the album on iTunes). Lame!
So, who wants to hook me up?
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2-21-2008 @ 6:38PM
Professor said...
All we want is to use our own purchased music anyway we want (just as if we bought the CD). DRM is nonsense.
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2-22-2008 @ 11:59AM
ChillyWilly said...
"You should still be able to use burn-and-rip solutions like MyTunes and DRM Dumpster for now."
At least until they get their C&D letter from the legals at Apple.
Hey Apple, send me a C&D letter, too. I'm sure there is something that I'm doing with music that the music companies that control your decisions based on the contracts you have with them don't like. You can send that to shutmedown (at) applelegal.com
Don't turn into a RIAA Jr. Re-neg your contracts and compete with amazon, who obviously did sign contracts to offer DRM-free music.
Don't let Mr. Jobs public DRM rant go to waste.
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