BBC iPlayer launch date unchanged despite DRM crack

July 18, 2007 – The launch of the BBC’s online media player iPlayer will not be pushed back, despite the digital rights management (DRM) software being recently cracked.

The iPlayer is due to launch on July 27, and is based on Microsoft’s Windows Media Player including its proprietary DRM technology.  The BBC said in a statement: “We know that some people can – and do – download BBC programmes illegally.  This isn’t the first piece of software to be hacked or bypassed, nor will it be the last.  No system is perfect.  We believe that the overwhelming majority of licence-fee payers will welcome this service and will want to use it fairly.”

According to news portal ZDNet, the utility FairUse4WM - which can remove the copy protection from Windows Media Player content –reappeared last week and could be used to crack iPlayer content.  The DRM software is used to ensure that iPlayer content is only available for 30 days once downloaded or seven days once viewed.

FairUse4WM first appeared last year and caused broadcaster Sky to temporarily shut down its Sky Movies download service.  Microsoft also responded to the news with confirmation that it is aware of the issue: “Microsoft has long stated that no DRM system is impervious to circumvention”, a spokesman told ZDNet, adding that its content partners are aware of this position.  “That is why we designed the Windows Media DRM system to support dynamic updates, should an issue like this occur.”