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Get a free DRM-removal utility (today only)

Giveaway of the Day's DRM-stripping utility works as advertised, and today only you can get the $19.99 program absolutely free. Just be sure to use it for good, not evil.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Drm-Removal strips that eee-vil copy protection from most kinds of video and audio files.

My good buddy (and self-described Cheapskate fan) James is looking over my shoulder today, so I need an outta-the-park deal. And here it is: a Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Glass Filter for $4.99 shipped!

No, no, I'm kidding. Today's deal is literally a today-only deal: Freebie-software site Giveaway of the Day is offering Drm-Removal, which promises to strip the DRM from audio and video files alike.

Specifically, the utility claims to remove all copy protection from AAC, WMA, WMV, iTunes AVI, and other commonly DRM-infested files. And based on some quick tests I ran, it works.

Of course, now that DRM is largely a thing of the past, at least for music, this may not be something you need. On the other hand, if you have some old, protected content cluttering up your hard drive, here's the perfect chance to liberate it.

Similarly, if you've purchased videos from, say, Amazon or iTunes and want to watch them on the device of your choice, Drm-Removal will convert them to an unprotected format.

That being said, I don't condone the use of this or any other utility for piracy. I do, however, believe that if I purchase a song, movie, or whatever, I should be allowed to watch it where and how I please. This program makes that possible.

As with all Giveaway of the Day deals, this one must be downloaded and installed before midnight tonight (July 22). Make sure to follow the registration/activation instructions in the readme file, which are simple and straightforward.

One final note: This is one seriously ugly-looking app, and it will automatically start converting any selected media unless you first venture into the settings and disable "Start conversion automatically." But it does seem to work, and you can't beat the price.