Im looking for a program to convert PROTECTED WMA files to mp3 so that i can put them on my ipod. anyone ?

i am a student at penn state and we get a free account with Ruckus, the music download service. its pretty cool, but if i cant add the songs to itunes/ my ipod, its useless as far as im concerned. protected wma songs cant even be burned to a cd either . . . weak! i have had trouble finding a free music converter, or rather, a free one that will convert PROTECTED wma files. anyways, im wondering if anyone out there has had a similar issue as me and knows of a program to use. obviously freeware is preffered, but if i need to buy a program to get thousands of free songs, its not exactly a bad deal. any suggestions?