Earlier this week iOS users noticed that a number of their apps were suddenly broken and unplayable. Over 70 apps including popular titles like Angry Birds were broken after a new update from Apple was deployed. It turns out the real culprit was Apple's DRM scheme, FairPlay. The short story is that, after the update was deployed, the DRM failed to recognize the game or app in question as "valid" and even uninstalling and reinstalling the app wouldn’t fix the problem. While developers and Apple are claiming that the problem has been resolved, users who installed the update during the July 3 - 5 period are still claiming to have problems.
Apple also claims that the problem was not widespread, but having 70 apps become inexplicably broken should probably not be considered "isolated incidents."
For more information on FairPlay, check out this Wikipedia entry.
Source: Guardian by way of The Escapist
Comments
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
I wonder how long it will be before they proclaim that their design choice is actually everybody else using it wrong.
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Isn't DRM just awesome!?
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Pirates, as always, are unaffected.
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
And Android phone users. I can still play my Angry Birds.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Just another reason why Apple isn't actually that great of a company.
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Bullshit. Apple is one of the best music recording companies out there. They really need to sue thaty pathetic little throw away electronics company for infringement on their copyrighted name.
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Huh?
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
It seems to be a slightly sarcastic comment playing on the historical event in which Apple Records sued Apple Computers for trademark infringement which resulted in a settlement allowing Apple Computers to keep its name as long as it stayed out of the music business. There was many an uncomfortable moment when Apple Computers released the iPod.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
The way I understood it there were no problems when the ipod had been released because of the results from the previous court cases determining that they could release hardware and software to play media but couldn't make the media itself.
Re: Apple's DRM Blamed for Broken Apps
Alright then. I didn't know that bit of history, so thank you for clarifying.