A 22-year-old hacker, known across the web as "DVD Jon", threatens to plunge Apple's music business into chaos after cracking the software that prevents its iPod players working with any other online service but its own iTunes music store.

Jon Lech Johansen, a Norwegian hacker who achieved fame aged 15 by breaking the copy-protection technology used in DVDs, claims to have "reversed engineered" Apple's Fairplay system and is offering to license it to companies that want to offer content that will play on iPods.

"Instead of breaking the [digital rights management technology] (something he’s already done), Jon has replicated it, and wants to license the technology to companies that want their content (music, movies, whatever) to play on Apple devices," GigaOm, the technology blog said.

"This may not be good news for iTunes the store, but it could make the iPod even more popular."

The move could potentially break Apple's dominance of the music download market and comes as Microsoft prepares to up the pressure on the iPod by releasing its own Zune player.

Mr Johansen could also gain support from European policymakers. Apple's decision to deliberately prevent iPods from playing music from online stores other than iTunes has already come under fire in France and Scandinavia.

Even so, Mr Johansen's decision to sell his technology, through a company called DoubleTwist Ventures, is being seen as a particuarly ballsy move.

"There’s a certain amount of trouble that Apple can give us, but not enough to stop this," the company's managing director, Double Twist managing director Monique Farantzos told AFX.

"We believe we’re on good legal ground, and our attorneys have given us the green light on this."

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