Is the Apple iTunes Hack Really a Big Deal?

Wow, just as Microsoft is getting ready to mimic Apple's walled-garden approach to its music store with Zune, along comes a hacker with a code to get around the restrictions on iTunes-purchased music (which you can't play on non-iPods).

The potential perp isn't just any old hacker. It's Jon Lech Johansen, the 22-year-old Norwegian who made quite a name for himself at the age of 15 with software (DeCSS) that cracks copy protection on DVDs (the movie industry sued, but Johansen was acquitted and became a renegade hero).

According to Johansen, the code, which he plans to distribute online for free, will allow users to play iTunes-purchased songs on non-iPod-and desktop players other than iTunes. Similarly, users would be able to play songs purchased from other music stores on their iPods.

Assuming Johansen's software is easy to use, this might be a real bonus to music lovers who have tunes from other stores or maybe just want to be contrary and buy a Pez MP3 player. But the convenience is more anti-Apple hype than anything really life changing: Quasi-legal programs already exist to convert copy-protected WMA files purchased on other stores to unprotected MP3 format. And you can always just burn your iTunes-purchased songs onto a CD and rip them back into another desktop in another format.  Or, everyone can just calm down and browse through the copious selection of unprotected MP3 tracks on the perfectly-legal eMusic, which will work on any player.

If Johansen's software is easy to use, quick, and preserves the sound quality of iTunes-purchased AAC files (or those from other stores that would be played on iTunes), then Apple might have a problem on its hands. Similarly, if it lets you play your purchased music on an unlimited number of computers, it could be a big issue not only for Apple, but also for the music industry.

If not, it's more of a stick-it-to-the-man move than anything revolutionary. But which man is Johansen sticking it to? The music industry? Apple?  Either way, neither Apple nor the music industry (but mostly Apple) will likely go down without a fight, as Gina pointed out in her post earlier today.

All this said, how often do you actually want to play iTunes-purchased songs on other players or computers? As far as I'm concerned, my desktop music is my desktop music (and my iPod music). And I only have two Macs, which is more than a lot of people. If I want to play iTunes tracks on my stereo, I either stream them with an Airport Express or I burn them to a CD. The iPod, with its user-friendly interface, good looks, and excellent video capabilities, is still my favorite player, so most of my tracks are already iTunes-ready.

How about you—how often do you use non-iPod players, and, if so, why?