Dev finds Windows Marketplace DRM severely lacking, easily circumventable

Microsoft's Windows Phones just left the chute a few days ago, and already it seems that ye old DRM is getting talked about -- and not in a good way. According to one Chainfire over at XDA-Developers, the so-called "copy protection" involved in keeping applications in place rather than strewn across a neighborhood of handsets is a pitiful joke, requiring just five minutes of tinkering to save the CAB files that the Marketplace app downloads to a separate folder. In other words, that relocated CAB file could be distributed to all of your friends, turning a single purchase into freeware for as many people as you know (or don't know, even). So, Marketplace devs -- does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, or what?

[Thanks, GreeKNastY]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2009 8:53PM]

Theft is often a crime of opportunity. If the opportunity doesn't easily present itself, it will stop most people. Protections don't need to be high-tech or elaborate solutions in order to thwart 99% of these "opportunists".

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2009 11:37PM]

This is pretty pathetic... on the other hand, if I bought an app on there, I'd want to break the DRM if possible just so that I knew I could install it on another phone if I broke/lost/upgraded mine (and not have to worry about Marketplace policies on how many times you can re-download, etc.).

[PeterFnet Posted Oct 9th 2009 12:40PM]

don't blame drm for that. That should be a feature of the store to allow redownloads

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 4:26AM]

Doesn't sound like there is actually any encryption involved in the so-called DRM. If there is, somebody messed up the implementation very badly.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 9:42AM]

Shhhhhhhh! Don't talk about it! We want it to stay this way!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 9:35PM]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=568806