AACS keys cracked. Again.

Nothing demonstrates the futility of DRMs arms like the HD-DVD fiasco. Ed Felten has posted about the latest crack on the latest patch of the failing security system used to protect high definition discs. After the now infamous key number was cracked last month and publicised last month, the solution has been to blacklist some keys and update players with the blacklist. But as soon as one key is blacklisted, another crack is sure to follow.

The problem for AACS and similar technological protection measure providers is that they are fighting a hopeless arms race against hackers, regardless of what anti-circumvention legislation says. The Internet community will go to great lengths to publicise anything that seems to be an act of "repression", including a person tattooing the AACS key on himself.

Yes, the Interwebs is a strange place full of whacky people willing to tattoo circumvention of effective techological measures on themselves. The war is lost, change!

By the way, DRM free music available on iTunes! I've purchased my first DRM-free iTunes album, although apparently the music is tagged with the purchaser's name and email.