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Jonny Can Play Fair

DVD Jon has struck again. The notorious hacker who's been helping people copy stuff that big companies don't want them to has found a way to unlock the code that blocks iPod users from playing songs from music download stores other than iTunes. Among other critics, blogger Cory Doctorow recently railed on this site against Apple and the level of control inherent in its FairPlay technology. He wasn't just criticizing Apple, but other digital rights management approaches, too.

A little over a year ago, I blasted DVD Jon for his sleazy activities and said, since he's such a talented programmer, he should get a real job. This time, I think the issues are a little more ambiguous, and his work has at least some potential to release consumers from Apple's stranglehold. I'm just not ready to say this is the right way to go about doing so. While Apple's mum about it right now, I'm confident its lawyers will be weighing in soon enough. But I'd like your input. Is DVD Jon's latest "project" good for consumers? Should we be supporting him or blasting this latest initiative?

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