The software I posted does convert M4P. I tested it on a song I got as a free download from iTunes. I think the way it works, actually, is to play it and record it as MP3 (or whatever format you choose). There are several programs that do this, and I haven’t heard of any of them getting DMCA takedowns.
The Apple-approved option is to burn it to a CD then rip it. You will have to rip it in iTunes to avoid having to re-enter all the tags manually. You can use re-writable CDs so you don’t end up with a bunch of unneeded CDs, but CD-RWs are much slower. You only get about 10-15 songs on a CD, so its a very time-consuming and tedious process.
I agree about not buying DRM-crippled music, but there are more and more artists who only sell outside their country via iTunes.
