"Converting DRM protected .wma files to unprotected .mp3 would be illegal. Any developer who wants a future in commercial programming would have to be an idiot to try and sell a program that would do something illegal."

That's exactly what a large number of "idiots" are doing when they develop so-called "converters" that profess to convert protected audio files.

What I said in my post was that I've tried many programs where the developers blatantly lie about the qualifications of their products to do what their hype promises. In simpler terms - their products don't work as promised, illegal or not.

The program I use, Media Audio Capture, is made in the U.K. where intellectual property laws are much more lax than in the U.S. If our laws were enforced than programs such as that wouldn't be allowed here, just as encryption technology is not allowed to be exported outside the U.S.

All the .wma files I have I've bought single-use licenses for so I don't feel any guilt in converting them and since I've paid for them I'm not going to feel bad if I break the law doing it as the artists ARE getting paid.
Illegal or not, since I own a license - that's a question for an intellectual property attorney.

I have no problem buying commercial CD's and ripping them if that's what I feel like doing. When I want unrelated tracks or want to mix tracks I'll buy the tracks separately.

There's a reason the majority of music available on the net is of the .mp3 format. Only Microsoft uses the .wma format, which they came up with and which they require separate licensing each time the tracks are played on a different player. In other words, the license must be renewed when playing tracks on, say a car stereo from a computer.

IANAL - but the legality of removing DRM is probably quite different depending on where you are on the planet. As for developers doing naughty things and having a future in commercial programming - I immediately thought of "Slysoft AnyDVD" - a very popular program that removes DVD protection at the driver level.

IIRC - I think the legality of this product came under question while they were in Germany - so it was purchased by a company on "the beautiful island Antigua". The product is as popular as ever (and apparently a very fine program too).

In Australia (until recently) I have heard it was technically illegal to record a TV program on a VCR - so buying a CD and creating MP3s for portable media - or creating MP3s from the local radio station is probably just as evil.

Maybe there is a lawyer somewhere here who knows what the law is for everywhere else, but it isn't me. (thankfully)

Converting DRM protected .wma files to unprotected .mp3 would be illegal. Any developer who wants a future in commercial programming would have to be an idiot to try and sell a program that would do something illegal. Yet you are asking people to help you do something illegal. Uhhh, moderators? Surely you don't want such requests here?

Adiemus, if you don't want to deal with the hassles of DRM buy your CDs and rip digital copies. That's what I do to avoid DRM laden files and it works quite nicely.

I tried out the Alcyone Audio Converter offered on Mar. 20 and, just as I figured, it would'nt convert protected .wma files to .mp3.

When I hit the "Convert" button, after designating the output folder, a message popped up and said that the file had been converted - all this in about 1 second.

The time, by itself, got me suspicious but when I found no converted .mp3 file in the folder I had picked I knew that this program wouldn't convert .wma files - just the same as the other 15 or 20 programs I've tried.

If anyone gets this program to actually convert protected .wma files I'd love to know about it.

Media Audio Capture (http://www.e-soft.co.uk/) has a batch conversion version out now and I've been routinely converting 50-100 .wma files at one time.
As I've mentioned before, in this forum, it's the ONLY program I've found yet that actually works the way it's developers say it will.