Resetting DRM licenses on Android - what is it and why is it needed?

Mobile applications on Android use DRM technology - Digital Rights Management. The main task of the function is to protect the program or game from illegal copying and illegal distribution on the network. DRM makes it more difficult for attackers to crack the software code, which is based on a cryptographic algorithm.

DRM license is used in paid applications. Some developers offer a trial period for using the software: 7, 10 or 30 days. When the demo version expires, you need to buy a license - DRM. Protection is also used on multimedia files. Companies release movies, music and graphics with built-in DRM licenses to protect copyrights and combat illegal distribution of digital content.

Viewing DRM license information

Phone users can view information about the DRM license of the installed application. To do this, you need to download the DRM Info program (developed by Android Fung) from Google Play - it is distributed free of charge.

The utility displays information about the developer. In DRM Info you can see which applications will be affected after removing the DRM license. For example, if you reset the DRM of a program from Google, problems may arise in the operation of other applications from this developer.

Caliber

Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux

Caliber is the best app for organizing and managing your book collection. You can use it to edit book metadata, convert your eBook into different formats, and even download news and magazine articles to your reading device.

Download: Caliber (free)

Thanks to the availability of plugins, you can also use Caliber to remove DRM from any of your books. remove DRM from each of your books remove DRM from each of your books

How to reset the DRM license on a smartphone?

In the Android operating system, you can reset the DRM license. To do this, you need to open the settings of your mobile device and go to the “Backup and reset” section. This is where the DRM Reset function is located - it removes all DRM licenses on the smartphone.

To remove protection without uninstalling, you need to install the DRM Removal application on your computer. The utility allows you to remove licenses from multimedia files - movies, music, pictures. To use this program, find similar instructions on the Internet.

DRM (Digital Rights Management) is translated into Russian as “ Digital Rights Management ”. Digital Rights Management technology protects the device from piracy, and also monitors access and distribution of works belonging to copyright holders. This system is like a lock that prevents the user from copying or selling any product. Perhaps highly skilled hackers can hack Digital Rights Management technology, but the average user is unlikely to be able to do this. When launched, protected content may display a number of messages similar to “the file is protected using drm technology.”

Why do you need a Digital Rights Management license?

Already in the question itself I gave a decoding of the abbreviation DRM, but you will learn about the essence of the concept further.
Almost every area of ​​a modern person’s life is closely related to information content. This may include:

• videos we watch on the Internet;
• music we listen to through the phone (player);
• e-books;
• images on websites;
• games and applications on PC and mobile gadgets.

Not everyone thinks about the origin of this data, but simply downloads it and uses it. In fact, modern “digital pirates” are behind 99% of such content, who illegally make it publicly available.

Such actions bring a lot of trouble to copyright holders who are trying in every possible way to protect their “intellectual goods.” Hundreds of millions of US dollars are spent to combat piracy. One effective tool is the digital rights management system - DRM. It allows you to limit the possibility of illegal copying and distribution of copyright property.

But this solution, like most analogues, is not 100% effective, and also has both “pros” and “cons”.

What functions does it perform?

The DRM system does not allow the user to illegally distribute, copy, transfer and convert copyrighted products into other formats. This is all possible thanks to its functionality, which includes restricting work with content using special strings, in particular the impossibility of complete copying and remote deletion of a file on the device.

But the technology also has its drawbacks. For example, restrictions on the use of information (any copying is impossible) and the likelihood of unstable and unreliable operation of programs with this protection. In addition, the functionality of the technology in some way contradicts the legislation of some countries of the world, for example, Australia.

It is worth noting that the concept of DRM-free is often found on the Internet. It stands for, literally, as “without DRM”. These are games, applications without protection, and even a certain movement that is trying to resist the widespread licensing of DRM.

[edit]Also

The abbreviation DRM stands for the following concepts:

• Direct Rendering Manager - direct access to the video card in Linux. Beginning Linux users often confuse this with DERM and get freaked out when they compile their favorite software video player for the first time and see three hated letters in the list of dependencies.
• Digital Radio Mondiale - digital radio broadcasting.
• Digital Recording Microphone is a microphone used by radio reporters, which finally contains both the microphone itself and the memory where the material is recorded in one bottle. Powered by USB and no extra wires.
• DRM is part of the firmware of Motorola phones, which contains standard graphics (battery, network icons...).
• Well, besides, if you write this abbreviation in transliteration, you get DRM, which hints at “shit.”
• Dynamic resistance Measurement - dynamic measurement of the resistance of switch contacts, not common in Raska

In what cases is DRM used?

You can encounter the work of Digital Rights Management protection in the following cases:

• when playing a certain file, the system prompts you to enter a password, identifier, or a unique letter;
• launching the required file is possible only in a specific program;
• a certain program starts working only on a separate device , for example, on a PC, music center, etc.;
• The DRM license significantly limits the number of copies of a protected file.

Creating a preview image for a video on the YouTube channel

DRM license - what is it?

A DRM license is a digital key that is used to decrypt encrypted content. In addition, such a license itself gives the right to use this product. You can receive such a key only after paying for it .

In addition, there are partial licenses that provide a trial period and have limited functionality. For example, there is a limited number of program launches and temporary access to it. At the end of the trial period, the application is blocked and you are offered to purchase the full version.

[edit] Stsyly

• Ubisoft has divided DRM to zero
• Harebrained Schemes divides also divides DRM by zero
• CD Projekt RED is cutting DRM to zero in its Witcher 3
• Once again Ubisoft realized that DRM is crap
• An enemy Jewish-Masonic organization seeking to prevent us from entering the expected paradise
• Another Jewish-Masonic organization founded by a lover of children's toys
• One of the enemy sites of the previous organization, conducting subversive activities
• Randall Kagbe hints to us
• Google Play also likes to fuck your brains
• Intellectual Pooperty

How to reset a license

The consequences of resetting the DRM depend on the content covered by the license. Resetting DRM licenses will mean that the user abandons the purchased software. For example, using illegal software, you can completely disable the application startup counter. In addition, certain utilities make it possible to break the connection between specific files and a site, disable the need to verify a license (digital key), etc.

For an Android mobile device, you can reset the DRM license without using any third-party programs. To do this you need:

1. In the main menu, find the Settings and enter it;
2. Go to " Backup and Reset ". On models with Android 5+, it is located under the accounts section;
3. Select the line “ Reset DRM ”.

This feature should be used with extreme caution, especially if the user is not informed of the consequences. In case of an incorrect reset or operation with this function, the user may lose access to some functions and programs in the device memory. In addition, some proprietary programs on Samsung and Sony phones may simply stop functioning. But in general, the operation and personalization of the device will not change in any way.

What is a CAM module for television reception and how to use it

It's worth noting that a regular factory reset will not remove the license.

Removing Google FRP account from phone

So, to solve this situation, you will need to completely remove your Google account from Android. This can be done by simply resetting settings, DRM licenses, or using a third-party Dev.Settings utility. Resetting and erasing licenses is carried out in the standard option of System Settings, so first you need to bypass activation and get to the settings.

Via Google search

1. Turn on the device and follow the language selection option.
2. Select your language, and then hold the Home button.
3. This click should activate Google search at the top.
4. Enter “Settings” there and click on the drop-down list below. If everything is done as it should, you will open this option.
5. By the way, you can launch the panel at the beginning, where there is an “Emergency Call” button: click on it and go to the dialing menu, then press “Home”.

Via keyboard

1. Get to the point where you are prompted for mail, click in the input field, which will bring up the keyboard (this will be a standard application).
2. On it, long press and click on the dog symbol “@” - this should cause the “Gear” to appear.
3. Go to it and in the menu click on “Android Keyboard”.
4. We go a step back, where the “Task Manager” option appears - click on it.
5. This action will launch the “Google Search” panel at the top - then we do everything as in the previous method.

Via MicroSD flash drive

While the phone is running in the “Account Verification” state, insert the USB flash drive into the phone. Important (!) This method is suitable for those who do not need to remove the battery. Otherwise, you will need an OTG cable through which you can connect the flash drive to the device. Afterwards the message “Change default recording memory” should appear and click OK

Sometimes recognition can take up to an hour - wait! Afterwards, the storage view will open, select “Application and media data” there. We look for the same “Settings” in the list, open them and select “Run” at the bottom.

How to delete your account yourself

After you go to the “Settings” menu, try two options there that should erase your account data:

• Go to the “Backup and Reset” option. In each model, the path may be slightly different, for example there will be a “Backup and reset” item.
• First of all, check if there is a “Reset DRM licenses” option. If there is one, we erase all licenses. There is nothing wrong with this situation, and you can restore the DRM option.
• Go back and perform the “Factory Reset” itself. If you have the opportunity to specifically select the erasable options, then select only “Delete accounts”.

Afterwards, the phone will restart, and the request to synchronize with your account should disappear, or it will be confirmed without problems.

Using the Dev.Settings program

If none of the above helps you, then you can try the Development Settings application. This program performs direct entry into the settings at startup. All you need to do is download its apk file to your phone and install it on your phone. An OTG cable or MicroSD is useful for this. Here are detailed instructions on this matter.

How to remove DRM protection

Currently, many Android users are complaining to developers about the inconvenience of using a digital license. But even despite this, it is still actively used in mobile applications and multimedia. Let's talk about some ways to remove this protection technology from various types of files:

• the use of specialized utilities (DRM Removal) that will allow you to bypass and deactivate the protection;
• use of converters that convert protected files (Note Burner, Sound Taxi). They apply only to certain extensions, but allow you to get a completely clean file;
• use of various CDs and DVDs. Files with the WMV or WMA extension can simply be rewritten to disks and the protection will be removed from them.

Removing ePUBee Kindle DRM

Available on: Windows, Mac

ePUBee has proven itself to be one of the best online eBook converters. However, since you cannot perform an eBook format conversion if the book in question is DRM locked, ePUBee has also developed a desktop app to help you remove DRM from your eBooks.

Like Epubor, this tool only works if you want to remove DRM from Kindle eBooks. Books from other stores are not supported. A total of six types of e-book files are supported. These are AZW, AZW3, AZW4, TPZ, MOBI and China.

To use the ePUBee app, you need to authorize it with your Amazon ID. Some people may not be comfortable doing this with security and privacy concerns. You also need to download Kindle books to your hard drive using the official Kindle app.

Once you have synced your eBooks, simply drag and drop them into the ePUBee app as needed.

Download: ePUBee (free)

What is DRM

Digital Rights Management (in the Russian version - “Technical means of copyright protection”) is a technology that allows authors to protect their digital products from piracy. In the case of Android, these are applications.

The protection process is carried out through the programmer introducing certain technical means into the software that prevent illegal use. As a result, a person uses the software only for personal needs and cannot copy or transfer it to other people.

A DRM license is the key that opens the digital lock of an application. It is designed using complex cryptographic algorithms to prevent quick hacking.

Important! Hacking or circumventing DRM protection is against the law and will result in civil and administrative penalties in most countries.

The principle of operation of the technology:

1. A person purchases a smartphone or tablet on which (in addition to the OS) special software from the developer is installed.
2. After turning on and activating the device, the preinstalled programs work in demo mode for a limited period (week, month). After its expiration, the software stops functioning and offers to purchase the full version and a DRM license for it.

Is it worth...?

I understand perfectly well that the countries of the post-Soviet space want to quickly become part of the civilized world. Laws are being adopted to combat “piracy”, etc. But the mentality coupled with insufficient income reduces all attempts to zero. People will download hacked software, listen to free music and watch movies online; they will not stop downloading Office, Photoshop and Windows from torrents. Alas, this is the reality.

But, if you have the opportunity to purchase the software, thanking the developers for their work, please do not be lazy to do so.

I'm sure you've figured out the DRM license - what kind of “beast” it is. All that remains is to make a choice - reset, remove protection, or live honestly and hope for the best.

Resetting licenses

The main purpose of the reset function is to stop using the purchased software.

Important! A hard reset of the system does not affect purchased licenses, and deleting the latter does not affect the performance of the OS, but will prohibit the use of programs protected by DRM technology.

1. Go to Settings → Backup & Reset.
2. Click Reset DRM Licenses.

After this, reboot your device if pre-installed applications were affected.

Note! At the moment, DRM is losing its relevance due to imperfect protection. Android 6 and above do not have a reset feature.

[edit] Or not?

In the underground, however, the situation is the opposite: musicians are gradually abandoning the services of labels and going to bandcamp, where they can preview entire albums and have the opportunity to buy lossless at a free price. Well, almost free: from below it is often and prudently limited. Following the fleeing artists, labels reluctantly climb onto bandcamp, posting mostly any illicit goods, and trying to lure the more popular ones to their own sites. But will it be possible to lure you in if there is an mp3?

conclusions

A DRM license is the right to use the full version of the software, which is purchased from its copyright holder. The license reset function allows you to abandon such software without affecting the performance of Android.

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, which can be translated as “Digital Rights Management”. In simple terms, DRM is an anti-piracy technology used by copyright holders to control access and copying of works that they own. DRM is literally a lock, thanks to which the user will not be able to copy or sell a particular product. Probably, some super hackers will be able to crack the DRM code, but for the average user the technology will play the role of a kind of protection. By the way, in some cases, DRM technology allows you to delete a file from the user’s device remotely! However, this applies to exceptional cases and only to certain content or software.

[edit] Technical details

Somehow,
DRM can be roughly divided into two families - from Apple - FairPlay (English: Fair Play) and Microsoft DRM - respectively, dishonest.

Sony's DRM was never actually called DRM, and happily died along with MD players. This is largely due to the traditionally high quality of service and stability of the software from this office and the failure of the ATRAC3 format, although the peddlers had it earlier than mp3, but the guys clearly strived for success.

Let's play fair - Apple, having prayed to the demons of money, received an astronomical vision from them. Apple's system is quite democratic and is just a control system - you can play an honestly purchased chanson on any of the five registered computers. The counter can be reset instantly, which will lead to the library not working on all registered computers the first time you access the Internet with iTunes. You can copy what you have purchased anywhere, provided that the “where” begins with i (iPhone, iPod, iRiver, iPad). In general, if you know where tuna stores its files, you can do anything with them. Yes, the protection only applies to working through the tuna interface.

We play like Ballmer - DRM from MS, traditionally for this company, is raw and unfinished. But it was lobbied everywhere, except for the Cerberus of free software (what can you take from the naked asses?) and traditionally hacked 33 days before the official release (Google knows). Used in Pindos music stores and porn shops. Why is not at all clear.

What does DRM license mean?

In the Android operating system, you can find an item in the “Restore and reset” section called “Removing DRM licenses” or “Resetting DRM licenses”. What does it mean?

A DRM license is a digital key that allows you to decrypt content or gives you the right to use it. In the case of Android, we can talk about a license for certain software. For example, the manufacturer integrates some application into the firmware, which, after activation, works for a month during the trial period. After a month, access to the application is blocked and you must purchase the full version. This is a DRM license, or rather, one of many possible ones.

Epubor

Available on: Internet

Epubor is a free online tool that removes DRM from your eBooks. The service only works with e-books from the Kindle store. If you want to remove DRM for eBooks from some other eBook stores, you'll need to look elsewhere.

To use Epubor, you need to know the serial number of your Kindle e-reader. You can find it by starting your Kindle and going to Menu > Settings > Device Options > Device Information . When you enter the serial number into the tool, omit spaces and hyphens.

Next, you need to connect your Kindle to your computer using a USB cable. You can then drag and drop eBooks from your Kindle directly into the web app interface. If you want, you can drag and drop multiple books and remove DRM in bulk. Plus, you can download the Kindle desktop app, sync your ebooks, and drag them into Epubor straight from your hard drive.

DRM removal will begin automatically. When the process is completed, you will see a download . Click the button to save DRM-free books on your computer.

Resetting DRM licenses

So now you know what a DRM license is. It remains to be seen whether it is possible to remove licenses from a smartphone or tablet. And here a very interesting fact awaits us: the fact is that if you previously purchased some application or other content with a license, after resetting you may simply lose access to this very application. That is why you need to be extremely careful when resetting DRM licenses, otherwise the consequences may not please you.

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In this article we will look at what a DRM license is on Android and how to remove its protection or reset the DRM.

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This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 10/9/8/7: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

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Attention! You can ask your question to a specialist at the end of the article.

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The Hitman scandal and the future of DRM-free

Against the backdrop of October problems with the availability of the social network Facebook and the hacking of the Twitch streaming platform, the news that Hitman - Game of the Year Edition was removed from the GOG digital distribution service went unnoticed. Meanwhile, this event is one of the most important victories for the gaming community, although not everyone will appreciate its significance. After all, no matter how loud it may sound, it was what happened on October 8, 2022 that determined exactly how we will play video games on PC in the coming years.

Why was Hitman “removed”? Chronology of events

On October 8, 2021, Hitman - Game of the Year Edition was removed from GOG
After the not very successful Hitman: Absolution, which was released in 2012, IO Interactive set out to return to its roots, abandoning many of the controversial innovations of the fifth part. As in the classic games of the series, in Hitman 2016, which essentially became a soft restart of the franchise, the action component faded into the background, and the core gameplay of the game was again focused around covertly eliminating targets by all possible means.

Despite the chosen distribution model (initially the game was distributed episodicly, which not everyone liked), the old new Hitman was warmly received by both players and critics, because the game again became what it was originally - a one-of-a-kind mercenary simulator killer, in which your success depends not on reflexes, but on the ability to think through every step and wisely use the environment.

In 2016's Hitman, the developers returned to the series' roots

To prevent illegal distribution, the Denuvo protection system, currently popular among computer game developers, was built into Hitman, but on June 20, 2017, a patch was released that completely removed DRM from the game. However, Hitman never became fully DRM-free, since a constant Internet connection was still required to fully play through the single.

An important clarification needs to be made here for those who haven't played Hitman. The game is divided into separate missions that open one after another as you progress through the story. Although the main campaign does not involve any direct or indirect interaction with other players, initially you needed an online connection to even just start the game. Patch 1.7.0, released on November 16, 2016, only slightly improved the situation: six months after release, Hitman received support for offline mode, but it was extremely limited.

Formally, you can actually complete the game without connecting to IO Interactive servers, but at the same time you will be extremely limited in the means of implementing your plans, which is unacceptable for a project that is based on the variability of the passage. The thing is that the player’s progression is tied to the online game, which, in turn, determines the unlocking of new types of weapons, devices, camouflage suits and starting points, that is, everything that allows you to complete one single task in dozens of different ways. Thus, without an Internet connection, the player has access to at most 10–15% of a single-player (that is, a priori not requiring online functions) campaign, which is precisely a form of non-offline DRM.

Your progress in Hitman allows you to unlock additional equipment to complete missions in different ways

Moreover, very unfriendly. If you lose your Internet connection during the next mission, you will have to restart the game, losing access to all previously unlocked equipment. And, as often happens, the pirates in this case were much luckier than the license holders, since the creators of the “people’s demos” quickly solved the problem of linking progress to an online connection.

Despite the dissatisfaction of gamers, IO Interactive never abandoned this system, implementing online-based progression in subsequent parts of the franchise. But on September 22, 2021, Hitman appeared on the GOG digital distribution platform in the “Game of the Year Edition” format, which includes all the content of the 1st season, and even with a 70% discount! It would seem like a reason to rejoice, because since GOG only accepts DRM-free games in its store, it means that the developers have finally heard the players by adding a full-fledged offline mode to the game, and perhaps later similar patches will be released for Hitman 2 and 3 However, everything turned out to be much more prosaic.

Hitman - Game of the Year Edition was released on GOG on September 22, 2022

IO Interactive did not bother with finalizing the project, leaving everything as is, so in essence, GOG clients got at their disposal something like an extended demo, which, in fact, is Hitman without an online connection. Of course, no one is stopping you from installing GOG Galaxy and enjoying the full version of the game, but in this case the whole point of the purchase is lost. After all, the “Good Old Games” project was initially positioned as a store for those who love and appreciate video games, who want, like in the good old days, to collect a full-fledged collection and not depend on launchers, problems with the Internet connection or the goodwill of the publisher, who One fine day may kill an online game by simply turning off the servers.

The result is quite logical: a day after the release, the Hitman rating on GOG broke the anti-record, dropping to 1.4 points out of 5 possible. The main reason for players' dissatisfaction, as one would expect, was the online DRM built into the distribution.

Hitman - Game of the Year Edition received a record low rating on GOG

It should be noted that in GOG all games that require an Internet connection to use certain functions (for example, access to multiplayer) are marked accordingly, however, when adding Hitman to the service, the developers tactfully kept silent about the features of the build. A little later, a note did appear in the description, but even there IO Interactive lied, indicating that online is only required to launch custom (Contracts) and event content (Elusive Targets), as well as Escalations. Needless to say, such clumsy attempts to hide the real state of affairs only added fuel to the fire?

The description of Hitman - Game of the Year Edition was misleading to users

The response from the administration of the store itself was not long in coming, but the first reaction of GOG officials worsened the situation even further. One of the service employees under the nickname chandra made a very contradictory statement with the following content:

“We thank everyone who drew attention to the problem. We will investigate the issue and report the results of the review over the coming weeks. Anyone who purchased Hitman - Game of The Year Edition and who for one reason or another is not satisfied with the current version of the game can use the refund function.

At the same time, we would like to remind you that while we are always open to discussion, we will not tolerate review bombing and will remove reviews that do not adhere to user review guidelines.”

The second paragraph clearly turned out to be superfluous: gamers perceived this passage as nothing other than an indirect admission of collusion between GOG and IO Interactive. Subsequently, chandra even had to clarify that this was not an attempt to correct a negative review, but only about messages that contradicted the requirements of the site (for example, containing insults to the developers), but this convinced few people.

The conflict was resolved only on October 8: GOG not only removed the ill-fated game from sales, but also publicly admitted its own mistake, apologizing to gamers:

“Today we removed Hitman - Game of The Year Edition from the GOG catalog. We should not have allowed the game to be sold in its current form, as our customers rightly pointed out.

We are currently still in negotiations with IO Interactive regarding the release. We would also like to apologize for the confusion and your dissatisfaction caused by the current situation. We've let you down and would like to thank you for bringing this up. This shows how much you care about GOG and what we do."

Without exaggeration, such an ending can be called ideal: gamers won a complete victory in an unequal struggle, and GOG managed to save face in the eyes of the community. But the main result of the confrontation was the removal of Hitman from the store, because if the game had remained in the service’s catalog, this would have created an extremely dangerous precedent.

GOG is the last bastion of digital freedom for the modern gamer

The GOG digital distribution store offers games without DRM.
Today, GOG is the key platform where you can still buy games without built-in DRM. Yes, in addition to the store from the creators of The Witcher, there are other services like itch.io or Indie Gala, but their range is much poorer, because they host mainly indie projects, while in the GOG catalog you can find titles for literally every taste: in addition creations of independent developers, hits of past years, games from second-tier studios and even blockbusters, albeit released with some delay, are widely represented here.

At the same time, “Good Old Games” allows you to purchase a licensed copy of the game as your own, and not rent it indefinitely, as de facto happens on other sites, where each purchase remains tightly tied to your account and requires at least a one-time activation on PC, if not the game itself, then a launcher to launch it (and sometimes both at once, and it’s good if there’s only one launcher). Along with the emphasis on classic titles, as eloquently evidenced by the decoding of the GOG acronym, the complete absence of DRM in the games sold is the basis of the marketing strategy of the store, which is forced to compete with the natural monopoly of Steam.

The placement of Hitman in the GOG catalog could become the point of no return, after which more and more similar “stubs” would appear in the digital distribution service, requiring a mandatory Internet connection for full access to the single player. And after them, games with built-in Denuvo, their own launchers and other “delights” of modern PC gaming would follow.

And it would seem, what’s wrong with this? Since you use an online store, then the Internet is certainly not a problem for you. In addition, DRMs are created to combat piracy, which means that an honest buyer has absolutely nothing to worry about. Alas, this is not true. Ironically, the means of protecting against illegal copying cause much more inconvenience to owners of licensed copies, while pirates play quietly without any worries. After all, if you think about it, the mere lack of built-in DRM provides the owner of the game with a lot of advantages.

• By purchasing the game without DRM, you will experience fewer performance issues.

And in the case of heavyweight security systems like Denuvo, the gains can be truly significant. An excellent confirmation of the impact of DRM on game performance is the research of the author of the YouTube channel Overlord Gaming (on this account you can find many similar videos).

In his videos, the blogger clearly demonstrates that using Denuvo always has a negative impact on game performance, and in some cases the impact of protection on loading speed and frame rate can be catastrophic. One of the most illustrative examples is Prey, an immersive sim released by Arkane Studios in 2022. Just think about these numbers: on the same hardware, the game distribution without DRM loads in just 17 seconds, while the version with protection installed starts in 54 (!) seconds, that is, the performance drop reaches a record 317%!

Things are also quite sad with the framerate: the advantage of the pure version in terms of average FPS is 21%, in terms of minimum FPS - 48%, and in terms of 0.1% low - 779%. For a weak computer, such a difference can be fatal, making Prey completely unplayable.

After removing Denuvo, Prey's performance improved noticeably

A similar picture can be seen in Dragon Quest XI, Devil May Cry 5, the same Hitman and many other projects. Games like Detroit: Become Human, in which Denuvo's impact on performance does not exceed 5%, are rather a happy exception to the rule.

Without Denuvo, framerate in Dragon Quest XI has increased significantly

In a word, Denuvo is a clear illustration of how computer game publishers are trying to solve their problems at the expense of gamers. After all, if you are not satisfied with FPS, then according to the behests of Sylvain Trottier from Ubisoft, you can always buy a new video card, right? This “good advice” sounds especially ironic now, when there is a total shortage of video accelerators all over the world.

• By purchasing a game without DRM, you will not be tied to the digital store.

It’s quite difficult to imagine that Steam will suddenly close for no reason. On the other hand, if the management of large companies had never made mistakes, the smartphone market today would be dominated by Nokia, not Apple, and the world's best-selling gaming console would be, say, the Dreamcast 4, and not the PlayStation 5. However, To lose your game library, it’s enough to get banned from a digital distribution service, and you don’t have to be a cheater to do this.

For example, in 2022, Sony banned a player from Mexico for the “offensive” nickname Kike_0615 (that is, Kike is short for Enrique, the gamer’s real name), interpreting the word as a racist slur used in the United States.

Sony banned a player for a harmless nickname

Appeals to PSN technical support and attempts to explain themselves, as expected, led to nothing, and only a post on Reddit followed by the involvement of specialized media had a result: Enrique’s account was unblocked, and Sony even allowed the gamer to keep his previous nickname, but the guy decided to change it anyway. as they say, “out of harm’s way.”

Technical problems should not be discounted either. Although there have not yet been cases of mass loss of accounts, no one is immune from major failures, as the example of Facebook clearly showed. Minor problems do not occur very rarely in digital distribution services: Steam, for example, crashes at the beginning of almost every major sale.

And sometimes users of the service lose games. One of these incidents occurred on August 4, 2022: on this day, after scheduled maintenance, many gamers noticed that some games and DLC had disappeared from their Steam accounts, and users also could not purchase this or that item again, although the button "Purchase" was active. The problem persisted for several hours, after which everything returned to normal.

In the summer of 2022, games began to disappear from gamers' Steam accounts

Fans of game consoles are also periodically unlucky. For example, starting in May 2022, after technical work affected the PSN database, games purchased from the PlayStation Store began to disappear from user accounts of the service, and corresponding entries from the transaction history also disappeared along with them. When trying to restore electronic licenses for purchased games, the store application displayed error CE-33946-5.

Gamers lost access to their games due to a PSN glitch

Sony acknowledged the glitch only in early July, advising players to reinstall the PlayStation Store, after which everything should have returned to normal. If this did not help, gamers who were affected by this problem were asked to contact technical support, providing copies of electronic receipts. As you might guess, the failure did not affect owners of disc editions.

These examples clearly demonstrate that absolutely any owner of a game library on Steam, PSN, Microsoft Store or another platform can lose their collection overnight. Which, naturally, will never happen to a GOG user who made backups in advance.

• By purchasing a game without DRM, you will not be dependent on the developer, publisher or protection provider itself.

Here I immediately remember what happened with Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. In an effort to recreate the atmosphere of the 30s of the 20th century, the Czech studio Illusion Softworks included in the game's soundtrack many classic compositions by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, the Mills brothers and many other jazz performers. When the license to use the music expired, the game was simply withdrawn from sale. However, on October 20, 2022, Mafia returned to the virtual shelves, but without musical accompaniment: all that remained in it were several original tracks written for the project by Czech composer Vladimir Simunek.

The original soundtrack was cut from the cult Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven

Grand Theft Auto IV suffered a similar fate: in 2022, many licensed tracks that could be listened to on the in-game radio while driving around the city were cut from the game. And in January 2020, the game was completely removed from Steam, because Microsoft stopped supporting the Games for Windows Live service, which also served as DRM, and new copies of the game could no longer be activated.

Fortunately, in this particular case, everything worked out: RockStar soon removed the ill-fated GFWL from the game and returned GTA IV to sale along with the Episodes from Liberty City add-ons, also adding new music for radio stations. But, alas, not every project is so lucky.

Let's remember the same Darkspore, which implemented a form of the most draconian DRM: an online connection was required even to complete the single-player game, and the Internet was necessary not only to verify the license, but also for the functioning of the game. Electronic Arts stopped supporting it on March 1, 2016, shutting down the servers. Now all fans of the game can only wait for the completion of the development of the local Resurrection Capsule server.

One day, the fate of this project will be shared by the PC version of Diablo 3, which also requires a connection to Activision Blizzard servers to function. But the first part of the famous epic, which is sold today on GOG, will continue to delight gamers, since it has no such connection.

The original Diablo is the most alive

Regular online activation can also become a serious problem, as happened with Tron: Evolution. The copyright holder, Disney, decided to save money on the SecuROM built into the game by purchasing a time-limited license to use it. As a result, in October 2022, owners of licensed copies of the game lost the opportunity to use honestly purchased goods.

Licensed copies of Tron: Evolution can no longer be activated

What adds piquancy to this case is the fact that the publisher paid attention to the problem only after numerous complaints from players: in fact, the non-working game was freely sold on Steam for several months after the DRM license expired. When the problem became widely publicized, Disney took decisive action and... removed the game from the store. A patch for Tron: Evolution that removed SecuROM from the distribution was never released.

However, you can lose access to games even due to the usual carelessness of developers. For example, on November 8, owners of games with Denuvo installed could not launch them for approximately 10 hours, and all because the creators of the protection forgot to renew the domain that the game accesses to confirm activation.

• The absence of DRM avoids compatibility issues.

You don't have to look far for examples. In the same GOG you can now purchase the classic Prince of Persia trilogy, the first and second parts of The Suffering, FEAR 2: Project Origin and many other games that were originally developed for Windows XP/Vista, but work great on Windows 10.

“Prince of Persia” does not become outdated either in gameplay or technically

At the same time, being the “lucky” owner of licensed disc versions from “Akella” or “New Disc”, you will not even be able to run the listed games on modern systems, and all thanks to the odious StarForce, which at one time spoiled a lot of blood not so much for pirates, how much for law-abiding gamers: this DRM was so harsh that it refused to recognize the most authentic CDs and DVDs, required users to remove any “suspicious” (in the driver’s opinion) programs, brought the operating system to BSOD, and in addition disabled drives . And by the way, without an optical disc drive, which not everyone has today, these games are also impossible to run.

Do you also have “Vietnamese flashbacks” when you see the name “StarForce”?

Modern DRMs are no better in this sense: owners of Alder Lake family processors have already had problems launching games with Denuvo. In November, Intel published a list of games that cannot be run on PCs equipped with the latest CPUs due to built-in protection, and the reason for this problem is that DRM cannot recognize chips based on the new architecture. As a temporary solution, Intel suggests that gamers activate the “Legacy Game Compatibility Mode” function in the BIOS, and after booting the system, press the Scroll Lock key on the keyboard. Although they promise to solve this problem in the future, there are no guarantees that anyone will bother to release compatibility patches for the next generation of processors, which means that in a few years all the listed games will be safely released.

• The absence of DRM allows you to manage the purchased game as you wish.

For example, GOG installers allow you to install several versions of the same game on one PC at once, which can be useful for those who like to play with modifications or are interested in developing them: you can keep several builds for experiments or several ready-made assemblies on one machine at once , including modes that are incompatible with each other. Using a DRM-free distribution also allows you to avoid automatically installing unwanted patches that could break your build.

In addition, without being limited by DRM, you can easily install purchased games on your home computer, laptop or workstation and play wherever you want, even in the complete absence of the Internet, without bothering with activation or family sharing. You can do it even simpler: purchase a portable hard drive WD_BLACK P10 with a capacity of up to 5 terabytes, install your favorite games on it and never part with your game library again.

Despite the impressive capacity, the devices in the series are distinguished by very compact dimensions (only 118 × 88 mm and weighing from 140 to 230 grams), thanks to which such a hard drive can easily fit into your jacket pocket, and data transfer speeds of up to 140 MB/s are more than enough for hits of past years, indie projects, as well as games that do not require storage performance (for example, strategies or turn-based RPGs).

External hard drive WD_BLACK P10

You can even take a collection of AAA hits with you, if, of course, you arm yourself with a fast enough solid-state drive like the WD_BLACK P50. Today, the P50 series devices are the only external SSDs that support the latest SuperSpeed ​​USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface and are capable of achieving data transfer speeds of up to 2000 MB/s when reading files, which is almost 4 times faster than SATA SSDs and comparable to the performance of internal NVMe drives. High performance, low weight (about 114 grams), miniature size (118 × 62 mm) and shockproof design make the WD_BLACK P50 an almost ideal companion for any avid gamer.

Portable SSD WD_BLACK P50

But, of course, to get any real use out of these wonderful devices, you will need game distributions that are DRM-free from the start.

The lack of built-in protection also allows you to protect your game library by creating the required number of backup copies, which can be stored in any way convenient for you. Finally, a distribution of a game without built-in protection can be burned to DVD or Blu-ray, placed in a steelbox, printed with an eye-catching sticker and cover for the case, and created your own collector's edition of your favorite game that can decorate the shelf of any avid gamer.

You can hunt for collector's editions on eBay, or you can create them yourself

By the way, GOG can help you here too, because the set with many games already includes digital art books and other graphic materials in good quality, which can be used to make a homemade collectible.

As we have seen, DRM is not at all harmless and is unlikely to ever become, since any major publisher is interested in obtaining maximum control over each copy of the game sold. It’s not just a matter of fighting piracy: already, being connected to the online allows you to extract additional profit even from single-player projects by selling additional content and services through a built-in store, similar to how it is implemented in free-to-play MMOs. And when it comes to money, such “little things” as the convenience of customers or the preservation of cultural heritage (after all, computer games can well be considered a form of art) fade into the background.

But as long as GOG and other similar services exist, as long as such sites continue to stick to their once chosen course, not following the lead of publishers who do not care about the interests of the end consumer, you and I can still buy games without DRM, collect collections and play single-player games projects exactly the way we want them. And the more precedents there are like the removal of Hitman from GOG, the longer we will have this opportunity.

What is DRM?

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Digital Rights Management (DRM) literally translates as “digital rights management.” Control is implemented by placing various technical means in the product in order to create obstacles to the illegal disposal of the program.

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The owner can use the protected product only for personal purposes; the user will not be able to sell or copy it. DRM is essentially a kind of digital lock, to which the key must be purchased from the copyright holder.

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The DRM key for gaining access has the form of a code, the creation of which uses cryptographic algorithms. It is difficult to hack, and you can only gain access after purchasing a licensed digital product. This technology on Android is implemented in this way:

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• The user purchases a new gadget into which the manufacturer installs certain software.
• After launching and activating the device, the software will work in free demo mode. When the trial period ends, the application will stop functioning and will require you to purchase a license.

Purchasing access to a full version of the program is an element of DRM. This is only one of the likely options; there are other examples of protection.

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Part 1: What is Digital Rights Management

DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a systemic and technological approach to copyright protection for digital media with access control. When digital media is protected by DRM, it will not allow you to copy or share a song, read a book, or play a single game without verification. If you want to break the restriction, you cannot access the files, it will appear corrupted or empty. To access DRM protection for files such as songs from the Apple iTunes Store, you first need to purchase the product. And you can access DRM for free without restrictions. And DRM protected digital media files, including Ebook files, software, movies, photos, games, songs, ringtones, TV shows, articles and even speech. Of course, you can also find many other media files protected by DRM technologies.

Digital Rights Management Methods

As a mention, in order to protect copyright on digital media, the manufacturer uses some advanced technical algorithms to access file management. What are the methods of DRM? This section covers some commonly used solutions for DRM-protected files.

1. Screening Emails. This is a traditional method of managing media files by setting its servers to block the forwarding of sensitive emails or messages. When you want to access files, you need to receive an email or messages in advance.

2. DRM Watermark Protection. Another simple DRM protection for images is watermarking. To prevent images from being copied, some photographers simply add a logo or special signal to the images before uploading them to social networking sites.

3. Always-on online authentication. Major publishers use Digital Rights Management online protection. Most online articles, instruments, songs, and even games use methods to protect digital media from being copied or misused.

4. Software Hardening Programming is a DRM method specially designed for games. If the game is suspected to be unauthorized, error message, a special invincible enemy constantly attacks or even turns the role into a bird or so.

5. Activation Key Codes. Most of us are familiar with license key codes for activating software such as the Windows Operating System or items from the Apple Store. It is also widely used for articles and other files.

6. Information Rights Management Information Rights Management or IRM is another most commonly used method for DRM protected files. The music label releases the credits on a CD that contains bits of information designed to confuse ripping software.

There are no industry standards for DRM protection methods. Most digital media producers customize DRM methods to suit their own requirements. With advanced technology, more techniques will be introduced to the area. Just take Photoshop for example; Photoshop CS5 and CS6 previously used license activation key protection. And now, if you want to access Photoshop CC, you can find permanent online authentication to use the program online.

We look at information about DRM

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To view information about what requirements different programs have, which applications will be affected by removing licenses, and whether the gadget supports technologies that are necessary for the normal operation of services, you should install DRM Info on your mobile device. The application publishes data about DRM components, indicating whether they are supported on gadgets.

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Using this information, you can determine whether you should purchase licensed apps or premium accounts. For example, in order to be able to play videos in Full HD and 4K format on Netflix, you need level 1 of Google Widevine.

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Many devices come with the third level, it turns out that there is no point in spending money on a premium account, because... There will be no improvement in quality here - the device does not support the necessary technologies.

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Related articles:

How to update Google Play services

How to download an apk file from Google Play

Android apps won't update

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Any e-book converter

Available on: Windows

If you need one tool to remove DRM for ebooks you bought from different stores, you may have to pay for the privilege.

One of the best applications for the job is Any eBook Converter. It can remove DRM restrictions for books from the Kindle Store, Adobe, Nook, and Kobo. A total of 24 different e-book formats are supported. These include EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW, TXT, KFX, PRC, HTMLZ and DOC. The application supports mass deletion.

In addition to its DRM removal capabilities, Any eBook Converter also has several other useful features.

For example, you can edit a book's metadata (including title, author, publisher, data, identifiers, and language). You can also convert your books to different formats, allowing you to read them on any device or reading app. Editing and conversion can only be done after you have removed DRM restrictions.

Download: Any eBook converter ($30, free trial available)

Resetting DRM licenses on Android

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The process for resetting DRM licenses depends on the specific license. Using various hacker software you can:

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• Reset program launch counters that have DRM protection.
• Unlink similar types of files from certain Internet resources.
• Remove key verification using software, etc.

On Android, the user has the opportunity to reset all DRM licenses loaded on the gadget:

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• Go to “Settings”.
• There we select “Backup and reset”.
• Then click on “DRMreset”.

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This option should be used quite carefully, because... If you purchased software with this license, you will lose access to it after resetting the DRM settings. This option should be used in special conditions, for example, if the device is sold.

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SMART TV and game consoles

DRM may be part of the SMART TV platform, in which case video services that run on that platform must use the protection option chosen by the TV manufacturer. Now many developers are integrating the Widevine system into their TVs, but the share of other solutions is gradually growing.

At the end of 2011, Microsoft announced the introduction of the PlayReady system into the Xbox LIVE game console. This is the only DRM system available on Xbox. Other game consoles such as Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii support Widevine.

How to remove DRM protection

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Many Android software developers have recently faced frequent user protests regarding the inconvenience of digital licenses. Despite this, it is still used in many products, including multimedia files, mobile applications, etc.

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Let's look at the main options that allow you to remove the DRM “digital lock” from the most common file types:

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• Use of specialized utilities. For example, free software “DRM Removal” or “DRM Media Converter” can deactivate protection from a large number of popular file types. This includes documents with extensions: .ASF, .M4V, .M4B, .WMV and many others.
• Using converters to convert files protected by a digital license. Similar applications include: Note Burner, Sound Taxi, Digital Music Converter, etc., available on the Internet. Although they are used for a small range of extensions, once converted, a completely "clean file" is available to users.
• Application of CD and DVD discs. Files with the WMA and WMV extension can be simply and easily removed from digital protection if you have a computer and a blank disk at hand. It is enough to burn WMV to DVD, WMA to CD, and then copy them back to the PC. The DRM license will then be removed from the files.

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In many situations, you can find a free alternative to DRM-protected software. By purchasing a paid version of the software from the developers, you guarantee the ability to use all the options and capabilities of the program.

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Sources used:

• https://androidlime.ru/drm-reset
• https://composs.ru/drm-licenziya-chto-eto/
• https://geekon.media/chto-takoe-sbros-drm-licenzij-v-android/
• https://androidnik.ru/chto-takoe-sbros-drm-licenzii-na-androide/
• https://androproblem.ru/nastroika/kak-snyat-drm-litsenziyu-na-android-i-chto-eto.html

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