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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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RSA Conference panelists take a hard look at the pros and cons of regulating the software industry.

Add a Comment (Log in or register) Showing 1 of 2 pages (45 Comments)
Poor virus writers.
by Philips November 13, 2005 7:34 AM PST
I remember those glorious times of M$ DOS and its viruses. DOS
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.
Reply to this comment
Sony's DRM Should Affect Future Policies
by WildcatRay November 13, 2005 8:20 AM PST
Instead of bending over backwards to thwart copying of content, the content provides should be embracing technology to both further distribute their content as well as making the providing of their content so attractive as to make the customers want to come to them instead of going for illegal copies. This is what is meant by "competing in the free market." The future will for those content providers who adapt to the new market paradigms and not to those who want to maintain the passe' status quo.
Reply to this comment
Sony DRM Nothing New
by November 14, 2005 10:06 AM PST
Sony apparently did not learn from a past DRM case see this consumer protection lawsuit from September 2001 against one of Sony's other DRM vendors for, amongst other things, alleged privacy intrusion: http://techfirm.typepad.com/clickrights/2005/11/index.html#a0007468925
Reply to this comment
BOYCOTT SONY
by Stan Johnson November 14, 2005 12:33 PM PST
Boycott all things Sony. They don't derserve your business.
Reply to this comment
Stop the insanity
by omaryak November 14, 2005 12:38 PM PST
Stop punishing people who purchase CDs legally and work your butt off to compete in the free marketplace. Record company executives have thrown their hands up, saying "we can't compete with free," but iTunes and others have proved them wrong. Put together your content in a compelling package, don't load it with spyware, and let me play it in a reasonable number of venues. The customer will be happy, the customer will continue to buy more music, and the record companies will rebound from their record losses. It seems the record industry is the only business these days that doesn't seem to understand that the customer is always right.
Reply to this comment
Sony should just give up
by omaryak November 14, 2005 12:43 PM PST
This incident if anything shows that Sony cannot be trusted as a competent industry leader. Sony is trumpeting its proprietary format as technologically superior. Did they learn nothing from the Betamax-VHS battle? Before the advent of the iPod did they see how everyone continued to snap up portable CD players and CD recorders while Mini Disc products sat idle on store shelves? Consumers don't always go for what is technologically superior; they go with what is more recognizable and easy to use. Sony seems to be brilliant at coming up with arcane technology that's supposed to be superior but just can't quite catch on in the marketplace. This DRM fiasco is just the latest in a long line of failures for the company whose last great success was a portable cassette player that's gone the way of the 8-track.
Reply to this comment
sony drm
by mike210 November 14, 2005 2:20 PM PST
sony takes your money and you still don't own it!
Reply to this comment
BOYCOTT ALL THINGS SONY
by heystoopid November 14, 2005 9:29 PM PST
Boycott all things SONY, from a to z! A casual check of assorted consumer electronics at a local bulk store shows that the greater majority of Sony's consumer electronic products!, were far more expensive and lighter in spec's, than the majority competitors equivalents especially in the LCD tv line!
Reply to this comment
More trouble for Sony...
by November 15, 2005 7:21 AM PST
It also seems that their CDs make unlicensed use
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.
Reply to this comment
Sony's Rootkit DRM Response
by Abirdy Toldme November 16, 2005 1:46 PM PST
Sony has went a step too far by including rootkit software that installs itself without asking, and then hiding itself with cloaking methods. This is nothing short of Malware and a step beyond most spyware. I keep hearing about a fix, but apparently the fixs (or attempts to remove it) have caused Windows stability problems. There is concern that the rootkit has written itself into the boot record and MFT of many machines, and removal could cause some computers to need a complete reinstall with the MBR reformatted. IMO Sony should come up with a removal tool that is safe, and do it fast. They should also be made an example that any activity of this type by ANY company in the future will result in large fines, and a full refund for any CD or DVD containing this DRM software regardless of where it was purchased. The only other alternative is a class action lawsuit and possible boycott of all Sony products.
Reply to this comment
Doesn't matter
by November 16, 2005 5:02 PM PST
It doesn't matter to me what policies Sony changes. I own about six Sony products, not counting CDs. I'll never own another.
Reply to this comment
stupidity
by kiji November 16, 2005 7:37 PM PST
Sony could have said it didn't know about the details of the DRM they bought. Their arrogant (ignorant?) reaction however shows they really don't care. It's only after Microsoft adding to the flack that Sony/BMG decided to capitulate and offer a "uncloacker", not even a uninstaller as the program only pulls the dRM in the open, it does not uninstall the software.
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...
Reply to this comment
Sony's "Instant Video Everywhere".
by tc399 November 18, 2005 10:59 AM PST
What kind of rootkit does IT install? I'm guessing that every Sony product you plug into your machine will call home to see whether or not you should be allowed to have a working computer, something Microsoft already does with Windows.

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.
Reply to this comment
What's all the fuss, this technology was known a year ago???
by RockyFromWA November 18, 2005 7:36 PM PST
Am I the only one mystified by all of the fuss about this Sony CD rootkit stuff. This "technology" from First 4 Internet (F4i) and SunnComm has been well documented in the trade mags and Internet sites starting over a year ago. What is disappointing is the fact that even the supposed technical mags missed asking F4i how their "technology" really worked. No wonder F4i and Sony thought the "technology" was wonderful, even the computer mags seemed to like it. Foolish. F4i's technology was obviously going to install software on systems when the user put the CD into a computer, nothing mysterious about that. For proof of the reporting by the media about this great technology, look at: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5492395.html , http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5238208.html , and even Slashdot, http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/18/189224&from=rss. At least the Slashdot users saw some of the potential issues. For even more articles, just look at the Press section at the First 4 Internet site: http://www.xcp-aurora.com/press_related.aspx.
Reply to this comment
Sony should be vigorously prosecuted
by BrianRichards November 18, 2005 10:09 PM PST
The effect of the software embedded in Sony's digital rights
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
Reply to this comment
Record exects just dont' get it
by shunchu November 19, 2005 1:06 AM PST
No matter how consumers react, the record executives just don't
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.
Reply to this comment
What are they thinking at Sony?
by Brucenote November 19, 2005 5:31 AM PST
When are these people at Sony going to
realize that they have to come clean
and make amends for this whole mess?
Reply to this comment
Boycott All Things Sony
by Buckaroo_Banzai November 19, 2005 6:05 AM PST
To hell with them. Let's make this an example to big business and government that my computer is MY DAMN computer. What I put it on it, in it etc. is my choice.

Let's make this sting!!
Reply to this comment
Unfortunately, consumers "just don't get it"
by El Kabong November 19, 2005 7:41 AM PST
While most CNET readers are incensed by the obvious wrong of Sony's action, by far the majority of the music-buying public are oblivious to the nature of this crime. (Yes, crime!)
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.
Reply to this comment
Good bye Sony
by vgraybeard November 19, 2005 9:59 AM PST
I have a large music collection; it's on vinyl (large black disc that can be watched as they turn). No need to copy music. I bought my first Sony product in (I believe) 1965; my boys grew up with Sony products. My last purchase of Sony products was blank CD's (not for music copy) in 2005; but that was when Sony was trustworthy. I don't think Sony will miss me, nor do I believe that it will make a bit of difference in their bottom line. The CEO can rest well tonight with the assurance that his future products are safe from me.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (45 Comments)
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