Two controversial aspects of Microsoft's Vista were conspicuous by their absence at yesterday's launch event - neither digital rights management nor the way Microsoft will shut down or reduce the functionality of software it considers to be an illegal copy were mentioned.

But Microsoft's DRM protection has already been broken according to a well-known security blogger and Microsoft Student Ambassador.

DRM restricts the kind of media content you can use on your Vista machine. This is meant to make life harder for pirates but in practice, as Sony learnt (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/30/sony_drm_spitzer/), it can make life harder for honest users too.

Alex Ionescu said on his blog that he had written code which could be used to bypass Vista's DRM - more details here. (http://www.alex-ionescu.com/?p=24) Ionescu has not published the code but promises in a later post (http://www.alex-ionescu.com/?p=25) to publish "some safe, generic, proof of concept code that targets what I believe is a flaw in the Code Integrity/Driver Signing model.".

Ionescu should know what he's talking about. He's a (possibly soon to be former) Microsoft Student Ambassador. These straight arrows are apparently: "the most talented students from around the world for their dedication, passion and involvement with Microsoft."

This is likely to be the first of many such problems as an informal army of unwashed hackers starts to target the software.

Meanwhile, the company has begun drawing flak on its UK pricing for the new software.

Gates was challenged yesterday on why the price of Vista is the same in dollars and in pounds - the basic edition is £99 in the UK versus $99 in the US. One US dollar is currently worth 51 UK pence.

Gates told the BBC: "Well we try and keep our prices largely in line country to country, I haven't followed currency rates that may have made that drift."

Just for the record Bill, a pound has been costing at least $1.90 for the best part of a year, according to MSN's currency calculator here (http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/market/rates.asp).®

Related stories

Microsoft hits Middle East pirates (3 April 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/04/03/microsoft_mideast_pirates/
Call for Blair to challenge Windows Vista price (28 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/28/blair_windows_vista_price/
How to install a Vista upgrade on any PC (12 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/12/cheap_vista_for_everyone/
EU Directive removes copyright exceptions for schools (12 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/12/on-demand_media_exception_removed/
EMI set to drag majors into DRM-free future (9 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/09/emi_ditching_drm/
Apple sounds Vista iPod corruption warning (6 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/06/apple_vista_ipod_threat/
Security watchers lambast Vista (5 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/05/vista_security_criticisms/
Vista and music still chums (2 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/02/vista_music_fud/
Microsoft nixes stripper ban for Vista launch (1 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/01/sadville_vista/
Why Vista will take a back seat for a few years (1 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/01/vista_waiting_game/
IE ripe for attack, despite Microsoft claims (1 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/01/windows_vista_security/
Vista raises the bar for flaw finders (31 January 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/01/31/vista_flaw_finders/
Vista is here...and so are the books! (31 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/31/register_books_3101/
Vista: long-term burn, not short-term sizzle (31 January 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/01/31/vista_sales/
Vista and British Library put da Vinci online (30 January 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/vinci_notebooks_vista/
Vista launches to muted applause (30 January 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/visat_launch_event/
Vista: fit for purpose... (29 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/29/fit_for_purpose/
Is Windows Vista ready for you? (29 January 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/01/29/windows_vista_still_not_ready/
Vista's accessible attitude (19 December 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/19/vista_accessibility/
Vista plugs piracy hole (15 December 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/12/15/vista_pirates_hole/
Vista creates twice the wealth in US as in Europe (11 December 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/12/11/vista_jobs_us/