The industry body backing the copyright protection system used on new high definition DVDs has confirmed our earlier report that the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) system has been partially defeated.

The AACS Licensing Authority has admitted that a hacker called muslix64, who claimed during Christmas to have cracked some HD DVD movies, managed to access some encryption keys that pass between the disc and a player during operation. These keys can then be used to remove the encryption from the disc allowing it to be copied freely. Earlier this month large high-definition files of some of the movies hacked appeared for download on the Internet. In a statement, the AACS said:

“AACS LA has confirmed that AACS Title Keys have appeared on public web sites without authorisation. Such unauthorised disclosures indicate an attack on one or more players sold by AACS licensees. This development is limited to the compromise of specific implementations, and does not represent an attack on the AACS system itself, nor is it exclusive to any particular format.”

A widespread breaking of AACS would be disastrous for the future HD movie market. Asked why he cracked the code, muslix64 replied that he was ‘frustrated’. He had bought a HD DVD movie but it would not play on his monitor as it lacked a HDMI input. He said in this interview:

“Not being able to play a movie that I have paid for, because some executive in Hollywood decided I cannot, made me mad. I'm just an upset customer. My efforts can be called 'fair use enforcement'."