Spotify Fixes Flaw That Allowed DRM-Free Song Downloads

by Christopher Freeburn | May 9, 2013 10:40 am

[1]Online music streaming service Spotify has blocked an add-on to the Chrome web browser that allowed users to download unencrypted music from its library[2].

Users pay a monthly subscription fee to stream and download music from Spotify to their mobile devices. Once the subscription ends, the music cannot be played. However, a Chrome extension called Downloadify, which surfaced this week, allowed users to download music files without the digital encryption that prevents their use when subscriptions expire, TechHive noted.

The add-on’s Dutch creator, Robin Aldenhoven, says he released the add-on to force Spotify to correct the flaw in its software that Downloadify exploits. He noted that Spotify had known about the flaw for months. He estimated that about 16,000 songs were illicitly downloaded through the add-on.

Alerted to the add-on, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG[3]), which developed Chrome and operates the Chrome Web Store, promptly pulled the add-on from the store. Spotify quickly updated its web player to eliminate the vulnerability.

Last year, Spotify completed a round of financing that boosted its value to about $3 billion[4]. The company competes with other streaming services like Rdio and Pandora (NYSE:P[5]).

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/05/spotify-fixes-flaw-that-allowed-drm-free-song-downloads/

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