Sony's new copy-protection / rootkit

[Cova]

Go read http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html



I don't think I need to say much else.  And you can be damn sure I won't be buying any sony CD's anytime soon.

[Mr. Analog]

My hatred for most things Sony continues...



You better believe some Sony schlub is getting the boot for this foul up.

[Thorin]

I wonder what that DRM would do to a good old-fashioned CD player hooked up to a receiver instead of in a computer?  Would it be unplayable?

[Shayne]

Its a damn shame.  The more i see things like this, the more i dont feel bad about getting my music for free from "the usual places".



Is it legal for Sony to do this i wonder?

[Darren Dirt]

At that point I knew conclusively that the rootkit and its associated files were related to the First 4 Internet DRM software Sony ships on its CDs. Not happy having underhanded and sloppily written software on my system I looked for a way to uninstall it. However, I didn’t find any reference to it in the Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs list, nor did I find any uninstall utility or directions on the CD or on First 4 Internet’s site. I checked the EULA and saw no mention of the fact that I was agreeing to have software put on my system that I couldn't uninstall. Now I was mad. :twisted:  :evil:  :twisted:



The entire experience was frustrating and irritating. Not only had Sony put software on my system that uses techniques commonly used by malware to mask its presence, the software is poorly written and provides no means for uninstall. Worse, most users that stumble across the cloaked files with a RKR scan will cripple their computer if they attempt the obvious step of deleting the cloaked files.



While I believe in the media industry’s right to use copy protection mechanisms to prevent illegal copying, I don’t think that we’ve found the right balance of fair use and copy protection, yet. This is a clear case of Sony taking DRM too far.



(comment) I think you're being a little genrous to Sony towards the end there... you don't really know what their motives are for permantly hiding services on your system, and they could extend well beyond copy-protection in the future. They have also exposed their customers to the risk of an exploit which leverages this rootkit - if they sell enough of this crap, I can see that being a temptation too hard to re$sys$t (/comment)



(comment) "If you have a Mac computer you can copy the songs using your iTunes Player as you would normally do." I am more and more happy to be on a MacIntosh... (/comment)

[Cova]

Hows this for ironic - take the software discussed above, and use it to bypass the Warden for cheating in WoW (thread on the Warden is around here somewhere too, but I got lazy before I found it) - all you have to do is rename your cheat to have $sys$ at the start of its filename/etc. and Sony's software will happily hide it for you.



http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/03/187215&from=rss

[Darren Dirt]

Five Reasons Why Sony Rootkit Is Good For You
by Michael Robertson, founder of MP3.com, Linspire, Ajax13, etc...

http://michaelrobertson.com/archive.php?minute_id=196

1) Sony breaks their MP3 boycott and sells MP3 files.

2) Proof positive corporations can't be trusted with control over your computer, your music or your property.

3) Industry officials say that CD buyers have the rights to make copies.

4) People care about consumer rights.

5) Sony ships anti-DRM software.

[Tom]

Way to resurect a very old thread!

[Lazybones]

What do you expect from the "Thread Resurrection Specialist"?

Hell the forum is even supposed to warn you when you post to an old thread, just like it warns you when someone posted while you where getting ready to post.

[Darren Dirt]

JEEPERS it's been TEN YEARS since the Sony Rootkit "oopsie"!

And this Free Software Foundation article "looking back" and comparing to the present... well, I'm not feeling all that encouraged about how far we've progressed. aka "hello mass-consumption and production, goodbye hobbyist experimentation and innovation!"

http://fsfe.org/activities/drm/sony-rootkit-fiasco.html



PS: Tom I will save you the time and energy...

Way to resurect a very old thread!