This was always going to happen, wasn\’t it?
Hackers have managed to circumvent the BBC\’s anti-piracy systems to gain unrestricted access to the programmes on the corporation\’s iPlayer internet TV service……..
However, the backdoor in the iPlayer allows users to completely bypass those protections and download unprotected versions of any show on the website.
One of the hackers responsible said it took him only 12 minutes to find the loophole and make it work – but that such a simple hack potentially opened up every programme on iPlayer for unlimited downloading.
"The BBC accidentally opened the floodgates and gave the world DRM-free downloads," said one hacker with knowledge of the breach. "If only it were down to something other than poor design, decisions and ineptitude."
As you will know, I\’m resolutely non-technical, but the impression I\’ve had from reading the rest of you is that the original decision, to develop this technology in house rather than to pick up an already developed piece of code was where it all went wrong.
Yes?
This was opened up to allow iPlayer to work on the iPhone which, not being a windows computer doesn’t support the DRM.
All you need to do is to get your computer to pretend that its an iPhone and it gives it to you.
No. They didn’t develop it in house, but in any case the error was to think that DRM shite is in any way workable.
Don’t forget that the BBC is the company that used to use its own set of units, including the “BBC foot”.
DRM technically CANNOT work because you have to give the user the key to decrypt the content. Thinking you can do this and maintain control is the preserve of no techies. It doesn’t matter what hair brained scheme you come up with it ain’t gonna work. In house, Apple, Sony, another third party, doesn’t make any odds where it came from…
Z
The DRM encryption on Blue Ray is about the best they’ve come up with so far and that was cracked months ago.
non-techies. Sorry.
The iPlayer was developed with Microsoft (which is why Apple Mac users cannot download programmes — the DRM is that which is built into the Windows Vista and XP systems).
Naturally, I would never imply that Microsoft writes shoddy software…
DK