Apple Puts Personal Data In DRM-Free Tracks

June 01, 2007 | by Christopher Nickson

It's been revealed that tracks on Apple's new DRM-free premium service has personal details of the purchaser embedded in them.

Apple’s iTunes has made a grand fanfare of offering digital rights management (DRM) free songs from EMI, which the store sells at a premium price. But what they haven’t told you is that those tracks contain data about the person who purchases them, including e-mail address.
 
The first tracks, by major artists such as Pink Floyd, Coldplay and Frank Sinatra, went on sale on Wednesday. With a higher sound quality of 256 kbps, rather than the regular 128 kbps, they retail at $1.29 each, instead of 99 cents for tracks covered by DRM.
 
Apple uses the Fairplay technology for its digital rights management, although it can supposedly be bypassed by burning the downloaded tracks to CD then transferring them to another format, such as mp3.
 
But it’s the tracks without DRM that are causing concern. New site Ars Technica discovered the embedded information, which includes the purchaser’s name, e-mail and account information (this information is included on tracks with DRM, too).
 
The speculation is that this information can discourage file sharing on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, but an added worry is that this information could easily be spoofed by anyone with experience, which could lead to unfortunate legal ramifications for innocent folk.
 
The story has already brought mixed comment from users. Some find no problem with it, seeing it as no problem unless people share music with friends – what the music industry calls “casual piracy” – while others are outraged. One commented,
 
“Isn't that even worse than DRM? Sure, I can move it, and do what I want with it, but it tracks me? Thanks, but no thanks Jobs.”
 
However, Apple’s privacy policy would seem not to permit the sharing of this data with record companies
 
Apple has had no comment on the revelation, so no one yet knows what uses Apple plans for this personal data. It’s not yet known just how deeply the data is embedded in each track, whether it’s part of the metadata, the listing of album and artist, or buried further down. Some users have said that it will probably only be a few days before someone develops a program to strip out this personal data.

Post Your Comment...Comments

Scott on Jun 1st, 2007 at 11:07 AM:

Only a thief would be bothered by this, as a legitimate, legal user of the music file would never be effected by this in any way. iTunes doesn't phone home and the only way this "personal" information could ever get into the hands of anyone else is if the original user illegally gives the file to others. Period.

Robert Hutwohl on Jun 1st, 2007 at 1:35 PM:

This is nothing new at all. Apple has been doing this from day-one with its DRM-protected tracks. So, what is the big deal. As Scott has said, "ony a thief would be bothered by this." If you keep your purchased music to yourself then you have nothing to worry about. I reallly don't consider this news.

Juha Haataja on Jun 2nd, 2007 at 1:09 AM:

As I understand it, the iTunes software on your Mac/PC embeds this information in the files _after_ they have been downloaded from iTunes Store. This is the same as Office which puts metadata about who generated a document etc. into the files. The AAC metadata is easy to see and possible to remove, if you bother to do so.

Apple doesn't need to gather additional information about your purchases. It already knows them. How would the iTunes Store otherwise be able to offer to convert previously purchased tracks to iTunes Plus?

If non-DRM AAC tracks with your information on them for some reason appear on the net, there may be a number of explanations. Someone forged your personal data on them. Or you loaned your iPod to a friend. Etc.

What is the (non)issue here?

Brett on Jun 2nd, 2007 at 3:54 PM:

"the only way this "personal" information could ever get into the hands of anyone else is if the original user illegally gives the file to others. Period."

So you can't sell or give away your iTunes music collection? (deleting copies of course)

Paul on Jun 4th, 2007 at 3:20 PM:

Does this mean if someone steals my music collection, I can use this information to claim it back?

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