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Hacker cracks Netflix copy restrictionsDRM is dead. Long live DRM.Published Thursday 9th August 2007 02:35 GMT A hacker has found a way to crack digital rights management restrictions in major movies streamed by Netflix, allowing those with a valid account to save, copy and share the videos. Using only Internet Explorer, Windows Media player, notepad and a program called FairUse4WM, a user by the name of DIzzIE offers step-by-step directions on Rorta, a message board for hackers. The crack requires finding the URL of the video file, downloading it, obtaining the license key and then stripping out the DRM. The 14-step process sounds like a fair bit of work, even if the restrictions imposed by Netflix (requiring movies be consumed in a browser rather than on portable devices) are onerous. Translation: this hack is likely to appeal only to geeks. It's also one more reminder of the fragility of DRM, which typically takes years to build and months - if not weeks - to tear down. Case in point, according to DIzzIE, after his initial post introducing the hack, Netflix updated the Individualized Blackbox Component used to wrap DRM around the files - presumably in the hope it would render the hack ineffective. "This is no big deal," says DIzzIE, who goes on to detail a workaround. ® 30 comments posted — Comment period finished It only needs one geekPosted: 03:36 9th August 2007 This is hopefully another nail in the coffin of DRMPosted: 07:44 9th August 2007 Will never workPosted: 08:11 9th August 2007 Let's get Serious.....Posted: 08:32 9th August 2007 I second thatPosted: 08:44 9th August 2007
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