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Will Sony's DRM nightmare affect future policies?
Sony's attempt at protecting its music CDs from piracy has turned into a tale of security woes that has quickly gone from bad to worse. New software on several of the company's CDs installs a copy protection rootkit on a user's PC once the license agreement on the disc is accepted. Virus writers jumped on the fact that Sony's rootkit hides itself on users' computers, and a few Trojan horses have been released that piggyback on the software, effectively hiding from antivirus software. The rootkit Sony adopted is clearly flawed. But where will it fit into the larger debate about music labels' use of DRM software? Is the security gaffe enough to derail use of similar tools, or will consumers have to tolerate more copy protections on the music they purchase?
How Sony's security saga unfolded
Sony halts production of 'rootkit' CDs
CNET News.com
Mac users not safe from Sony BMG DRM
RealTechNews
Sony rootkit backlash, week 2
Enterprise IT Planet
Sony gets an earful over CD software
San Francisco Chronicle
'Bots' for Sony CD software spotted online
CNET News.com
Sony sued for rootkit copy protection
InformationWeek
Are these the Sony rootkit CDs?
CNET News.com
Computer Associates blacklists Sony DRM
WhatPC?
Antivirus firms target Sony 'rootkit'
CNET News.com
Sony death-wish: Rootkits and responsibility
Playlist Mag
Sony's reaction doesn't go far enough
eWeek
Sony CD protection sparks security concerns
CNET News.com
Sony, rootkits and digital rights management gone too far
Sysinternals
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viruses were state of the art: small, efficient, stealth, poly-
morphing/self-modifying and just beautiful. Removing it from
memory with standard debug.exe was just pure pleasure.
I can only mark modern virus writers as 'sloppy programmers'.
All OSs from Redmond include various back-doors for patching,
system libraries and so on. Even slight glimpse over official API
reveal number of loop-holes allowing any piece of software to
dig itself so deep into OS so only mean removing it will be
complete reinstallation of OS.
Have virus writers wanted any protection from anti-virus
applications - it is already there - it's Windows itself.
To me it all seems like lack of experience and competence.
As to the Sony with its DRM stuff. I'd rather have forced
politicians protect people from lengthy EULAs - then matters
like Sony's DRM will not even show up. People will just make
theirs buying decisions on screwedness of what they are buying
- not only on shiny promotions and advertisements.
Why on a earth would any piece of software want to hide itself?
Press 'Ctrl-Shift-Esc' and watch list of processes.
How many names make any sense to you? I doubt much. I knew
all services on Windows NT - but 2000 & XP added a bunch.
So now even I is in dark about what's really running on my
(office) PC. (Save me God from having Wind0ze at home again.)
I don't thing it's necessary to call for a boycott. A lot of people will quit buying Sony products whether they make a conscience decision to do so or not. SOny has destroyed many of their custormers' trust in the company and that won't be easily regained. How many millions of people, the next time they go to buy a CD, are now going to look at label and if its Sony/BMG will ask themselves if they really want that CD? For must-have CDs it probably won't be an issue, but for casual purchases, many will decide they don't really want the CD that badly. Any how many million of people will decide that it is no longer worth the price premium when a less expensive Panasonic, Samsung, ect. with the same features will do just as well? Or maybe that new XBox will be worth looking into now.
Sony had destroyed a trust that it will NEVER regain in millions of people (i.e. customers). And they have earned that all by themselves.
of some GPL'd MP3 libraries without
acknowledgement and without publishing the
source code.
If so, that makes the Sony corporation the
biggest copyright violator (in sheer number of
copies distributed) on the planet.
While I can (barely) understand SONY-BMG will defend their rights on DRM whatever it takes, I am astonished as to why SONY has not reacted yet. Stringer, the new Sony CEO should step in and get SONY-BMG to reppent and get way low profile to save the face of the whole SONY group. The Japanese bigwigs are probably thinking about committing harakiri about this or otherwise too stupid to be in their positions if they fail to see the danger. The result of the bad handling by Sony-BMG is an all out boycott of SONY (electronics, entertainment) something thay can't afford now. Personally I think this is the last drop in the bucket; I've been putting up with crappy software (hey, I can't even save files where I want them? and lackluster customer support for a while. This nightmare makes it rather clear that Sony doesn't really care about customers, not only in the way they want to spy on you (and open the door to your pc for any hacker) but rather in the way the handled the whole situation, including the non-action by Sony...Samsung must be laughing its head of...
I just sold my Sony DSC-R1 camera and The laptop goes next. Sony has lost my trust and my business.
This opinion has been brought to you from an AMD 64 bit machine running SUSE 10.0 and Firefox.
managment software doesn't appear much different than many
trojan horse viruses that teen hackers distribute through the
internet.
Simply because Sony's motive was greed should not excuse
them from what appears to me an intentional act of aggression
on an people's computers.
Thow the book at them, open them up to an array of civil
lawsuits and hurt the stockholders and management.
Treat the executives who implemented and approved this
software with prison terms and heavy fines in the manner of a
teen hacker. It will assure this kind of behavior will be more
limited in the future.
I also urge people to write to the artists and artists' managment
to use this episode to void current contracts and sign new
agreements with recording companies that do not engage in this
kind of malicious conduct.
Brian Richards
get it. They insist on making their CDs anti-piratable, but they
forget they should really be listening to the users, customers
who are paying their fat salaries and bonuses, and make sure
what they do meet consumer demands. Apple's success should
clearly be a wake up call for the record labels on what they
ought to do. Higher per-song fees and anti-piracy measures
that inconvenient consumers will only drive more people
underground. Their very act of trying to protect their copyrights
this way is going to make the consumers rebel.
realize that they have to come clean
and make amends for this whole mess?
Let's make this sting!!
This is only the latest of such practices perpetrated on the consumer by corporate jerks who've gone to college to study American stupidity. (Makers of a popular creme-filled chocolate cookie announced that, due to the obesity problem in America, they were going to reduce the number of cookies in a package by one-third... to which a news anchor responded with genuine enthusiasm, "Oooh, I just can't wait!")
Americans go shopping the way steers march into the slaughter house. I wish all the writers who responded to this article were able to convince the rest of the country to stand up and take Sony to task but... don't hold your breath.
BTW, I won't be buying anything Sony makes ever again either.
Sony has it wrong. They treat a consumer like a criminal by putting their copy protection on anything and increasing the cost of the product by investing in this technology. Someone that is going to steal a song or movie is not going to buy it. I know the stores by me will not allow you to return an open DVD or CD. They only allow you to exchange it for the same title.
Courts should make Sony responsible for all and any damage caused by this in not only personal PC's but any computer related problems anywhere.
Class action suits should automatically include anyone who purchased this crap from any supplier.
Also should be sued by companies spending time and money (antispyware and antivirus) in trying to deal with this mess.
An example should be made of Sony for others to follow that this is not what you do to people buying your products even if it means Sony going out of Biz.
Stand up to Sony with lawsuits!
We want your song and you want the money but sure won't get any from me if it means crap like Sony tried to pull off or any other company for that matter.