Convert protected WMA files to MP3

Protected WMA means a WMA audio file, which is protected by the digital rights management (DRM). The digital rights management allows or denys the access to a WMA file.

The digital rights management is especially used by puplishers, so not everyone can hear the file or watch it. The digital rights management is also used for video files. It is the same principle like with the WMA audio files.

Many online music stores like Napster, iTunes or Musicload in Germany use the digital rights management for their music files. If someone buys an audio track from an online music store, the digital rights management installs a licence on the computer. So just the person, who bought the music licence, can listen to the WMA file.

If a file, which ist protected by digital rights management, is shifted to another computer, the file can’t be opened on the other computer, because there is no licence. Moreover the licence can’t be shifted.

A condition to hear a protected file is a music player, which is able to play WMA files, which are protected by the digital rights management. The Windows Media Player for example is able to play them. The player is intalled on every Computer with Microsft Windows as operating system. So it shouldn’t be a problem to play protected WMA files.

If you would like to listen to the songs on your MP3 player or if you like to burn the songs onto a CD, you must check your licence, because your rights of use are different and mostly limited. For example you can just copy the file ten times on your MP3 player an burn it fifteen times on a CD. It depends on the rights you have from the digital rights management. The rights are given from the online music shops. So it can vary from file to file how often you can copy, shift and burn the protected files.

But there are also bad aspects about the digital rights management. When you download a protected file, the owner of the shop, where you have bought the song, can see, what kind of music you are buying. With this information someone could send you advertisement, which is personalized to your interests. This information also could be sold to other firms, which are interested in your habits and your preferences.

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