Comments on: Sony sailing past rootkit controversy

Despite calls for boycotts, consumers appear to be buying Sony CDs just as they always have.

[markdoiron]

I Care.

"Allen Lewites, the manager at the Amoeba store, said. 'I don't think anyone cares what record companies do.'"

just to set the record straight, i care. i think others do, too. just because folks who buy cd's from "record stores" may be technologically challenged shouldn't be construed to mean that they won't mind when a virus author manages to clobber their 'puter. they will, though they might not figure out what happened, or how it happened, and likely will never make the connection with a virus-riddled cd and their 'puter problems. Lewites' comment reeks of the same arrogance as sony's recent remark to most folks don't know what a root kit is.

mark d.

[rcrusoe]

Sony's clueless victims

I'm not surprised that people continue to buy infected Sony CDs. According to statistics, 90% of the Windows computers in the world are infected with viruses and/or spyware. These poor sheeple probably won't even notice one more problem.

On the bright side, each malware cd purchased by a Windows user means more money for those in tech support.

[Gerald Quaglia]

I've been saying this for years

Most computers user are quite simple stupid when it comes to their PC. They will click on anything, give away personal info, even help out the poor Nigerian who needs help getting his fortune out of the country. I doubt most users are even aware of the root kit thing. I guess Sony's president said it best when he said that most people don't even know what a rootkit is so why should they worry about it. Business as usual, DRM will continue, the consumer will continue to be screwed and well greased congressman will continue to pass industry friendly legislation like the DMCA.

[heystoopid]

Not me!

Actually, the high order of probability, is the reason why these infected cd's are so hot is that a variety of trojan/virus/phishers writers, are scrambling, to buy these malware audio disc's so that they can dissassemble the code, for incorporation with the next gen virii etc! Oh well, since most of Sony Corps offerings appear overpriced and not cutting edge anymore, who will buy them anyway(and include a fair number of rebrands as well)! After spending hours disinfecting a windows machine, the answer is not me. A quick scan of financial papers show that SONY HQ in '04 to create an illusion of corporate profit sold off the staff pension fund and predictions in '05 show continuing negative profit trends! Further SONY BMG, joint venture company actually posted a trading loss in '04! One can say desperate times, means desperate illegal actions to reverse the downward negative trend! Let the class action law suits kill SONY!

[Heebee Jeebies]

Of course they are still buy...

They are stupid idiots.

Robert

[royc]

What % of records

are sold to non-computer savy people?

I would guess 99%, so no one will notice a 1% drop in sales.

I guess it's same old same old all over again.

[bob donut]

That doesn't mean anything

Generally, it's harder for a consumer to identify an item like a CD with Sony than it is for them to identify a TV or other expensive electronic item. You can expect sales of Sony hardware to go way down, since it's more visible.

It's mainstream news media's failure.

It's everywhere online if you go looking for it, however you can watch the news on CNN, FOX, CBS, ABC, MSNBC etc. 24/7 and never hear any mention of this Sony rootkit.
I'll bet you $20.00 I can take a clipboard around the block polling every household and not find one single person aware of the rookit or it's implications. If a script kiddie had rooted nearly every governmental agency, except those who's computers don't have any drives for security reasons, the news media would be all over it.
This isn't Sony's first attempt at this either, Sony's computer support program loaded on every VIO computer is spyware that sends info to Sony regarding what applications you use and how you use them. If your using CDEX to rip Mp3's, DVD Decrypter to rip DVD's, or Gnutella to download anything, Sony knows.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Wait until the Christmas buying season is over

It's too early to be declaring Sony as unaffected, give it a couple months for the word to spread and for sales not already in the pipe to occur (or fail to occur).