ReVanced has received a DMCA takedown notice from Spotify regarding the Unlock Premium patch.
Spotify claims that
- The patch is a derivative of their copyrighted works, and
- It circumvents Spotify’s technological protection measures under DMCA 1201(a) (such as encryption and transfer key protocols).
Find the full DMCA notice here.
Their arguments
- They say the patch enables access to copyrighted content by bypassing encryption, transfer key protocols, and premium feature restrictions (like skipping).
- They argue this is circumvention, even though the patch does not enable downloads or give access to songs that are otherwise unavailable on free Spotify.
Our understanding
- The patch does not copy Spotify’s code.
- Songs on Spotify Free remain accessible without the patch; premium-only features mainly affect convenience (e.g., skipping).
- The app requires attestation to prevent it from becoming unusable if modified.
- However, legal precedent (e.g., 321 Studios v. MGM, MDY v. Blizzard) shows courts sometimes view bypassing software restrictions as circumvention, even when it’s about features and not direct access to copyrighted works.
Why this matters
If attestation bypass alone constitutes a DMCA 1201 violation, then not only premium but also the “make the app work when patched” functionality could be affected.
We are seeking legal expertise to better understand our position and risks until our deadline of one business day.
If you have legal knowledge in copyright/DMCA or know someone who does, to guide us in this matter, please reach out to us:
- (Preferred) Directly on social media sites (Discord preferred), you can find on the footer of this page.
- Via mail at spotify-dmca@revanced.app.
Robin Edgar
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robin@edgarbv.com
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