
Hulu encrypts its HTML to fend off Boxee…again - ciscoriordan
http://venturebeat.com/2009/04/02/hulu-encrypts-its-html-to-fend-off-boxeeagain/
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Sephr
Boxee including XULRunner isn't circumventing any "encryption". Boxee is then
a browser which works on your TV. I'm guessing the content providers for Hulu
don't know that you can use your TV as a monitor for your computer yet either.

Also, I never heard of JavaScript source code that is meant to be eval'd
qualifying as "encryption". At best you can call it obfuscation.

    
    
        document.documentElement.appendChild(document.createTextNode("omfg this is encrypted!!1!!!! DON'T TRY TO CIRCUMVENT"))

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jrockway
So the networks would rather Boxee users download full HD, ad-free versions of
their shows from the Pirate Bay rather than watch the low-def versions with
ads from Hulu?

And then they complain about losing money...

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ciscoriordan
It's pretty easy to circumvent the encryption, but the act of doing so might
be a DMCA violation.

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mustpax
I think you just hit the nail on the head. I was wondering why Hulu would take
the time to implement such a braindead "encryption" scheme. All you need is a
JavaScript interpreter to break this.

But now they can _sue_ anyone who serves their content because it's
circumventing their broken encryption scheme. DMCA is quite a nifty bit of
legislation.

Hell, publishers once sued someone successfully under DMCA for breaking an
"encryption" scheme based on _rot13_. I kid you not:
<http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-116424.html?legacy=zdnn>

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marram
What is html encryption anyways? obfuscation?

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jonknee
Looks like some code that has to be run through a couple JS functions before
it's legible. I tried seeing where it actually happens on the site and can't
find it. Regardless, it has already been "cracked".

[http://www.hulu.com/channels/Action-and-
Adventure?ajax=true&...](http://www.hulu.com/channels/Action-and-
Adventure?ajax=true&type=episodes&kind=videos&sort=release&page=1)

(That's a link from the article, I can't see anything like that when browsing
through the site. It's all plain text for me.)

