Hemmelig info på ITunes-filer

ITunes har lansert musikk uten kopisperre. Men filene har skjult informasjon som identifiserer kjøperen. Det kan være som en garanti mot ulovlig spreding.

The Electronic Freedom Foundation, the online consumer rights group, added that it had identified a large amount of additional unaccounted-for information in iTunes files.

The foundation said it was possible that the data could be used to “watermark” tracks so that the original purchaser could be tracked down if a track appeared on a file-sharing network, although experts said that it would be relatively easy to “spoof” such data.

Ars Technica, one of the first websites to unveil the hidden information, said: “Everyone should be aware that while DRM-free files may lift a lot of restrictions on our personal usage habits, it doesn’t mean we can just start sharing the love, so to speak. Sharer beware.”

An Apple spokeswoman was unable to comment.

The discovery of the data, of which most iTunes users will have been unaware, underscores the reluctance of music groups to allow music to circulate freely over the web.