Sony Music Sued Over Anti-Piracy Software

[Damaximus]

I bought Acceptance's Phantoms a while ago. I knew something was up when I couldn't rip it and was forced to dl it to my Zen. Disappointed in Sony.

They're supposedly emailing instructions to remove the rootkit. I just filled out the form so I don't know yet.

[HanabiChick]

From what I understand, instructions from sony will only help you expose the rootkit, following the instructions will not help you get rid of it. Read this article to see why:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051103/...y_protection_4

This is the part people need to be aware of:
The patches that reveal the hidden files are being made available to antivirus companies as well as customers who visit the Sony BMG site. They do not remove the copy protection software, however.

This is the part that concerns filling out the application for instructions on how to remove the rootkit:
McKay said customers can request a program to safely uninstall everything by visiting the Sony BMG Web site at http://cp.sonybmg.com. That site, however, requires a form to be filled out and submitted.
In a test of the form late Wednesday, an e-mail confirming receipt was quickly returned by Sony BMG customer service, but it included no instructions on how to remove the software. The message promised another reply "shortly."

[fantaisie.sign]

Wow, I recognize a bunch of those -- Gospel, R&B, Acoustic, Alternative, Latino, American Idol (Diana DeGarmo). . . Gee, Sony, how can you stoop so low? It seems like the RIAA is still out to get every little $1 possible while making the consumers's lives more miserable at the same time.

iTunes is awesome.

[[AHS]MortalSex]

loool! never buy CDs so no problem for me ^^
saw this somewhere on windows website I think there said a solution how to get rid of it too ^^

[sxesven]

Update from Pitchfork:

Sony Discontinues Controversial Anti-Piracy Software

Amy Phillips reports:
Sony, you got served.

Just days after an uproar erupted over the revelation that several new Sony BMG Music releases contain anti-piracy software that embeds hidden spyware and malware into consumers' computers, the company has agreed to stop manufacturing the offending discs. But a California class-action lawsuit against the record label conglomerate still stands, and the public relations fallout has only just begun.

As previously reported, discs containing the stealth XCP technology install nasty little buggers called "rootkits" on Windows computers (Macs are safe), slowing down operating systems, leaving hard drives open to virus infection, and, perhaps worst of all, transmitting information about the user back to Sony HQ. As if that wasn't bad enough, the anti-piracy software prevents the disc's tunes from being transferred to iPods (once again, Macs are safe). So basically, you're better off downloading the stuff from Soulseek.

Of course, Sony refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing. The XCP discontinuation is only temporary for now, and encrypted CDs already on store shelves will stay there. According to the New York Times, 4.7 million CDs featuring the technology have been shipped, and about 2.1 million have been sold.

While Sony has posted a patch on its website that reveals the rootkit, the patch does not remove the copy-protection software. To do that, you must follow a complicated procedure that involves giving Sony even more information about yourself, including an email address. And experts are warning that the process can do more harm than good, causing system crashes and other problems.

In a statement released on Friday, the company said, "We deeply regret any possible inconvenience this may cause. We stand by content protection technology as an important tool to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our artists." Right, because Trey Anastasio is sooo against people sharing his music.

Surprisingly, one of music consumers' biggest allies in this situation might turn out to be Microsoft. The company announced that it intends to include a Sony patch in its next update of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, so look out for some corporate Godzilla vs. Mothra action soon.

Freedom-fighting digital rights organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation has compiled a list of dangerous CDs, which we have copied and pasted below from their website. The list isn't complete, and the EFF offers tips on how to check if a CD contains XCP or not.

If you own a PC, save yourself a lot of hassle and don't insert any of these CDs into your disc drive. If your Windows Auto-Run function is activated (and it probably is, since most Windows systems come with Auto-Run engaged automatically), then Sony's media player will launch immediately, and the rootkit infestation will begin.

Besides, isn't listening to the new Santana album punishment enough?

The blacklist:

Trey Anastasio - Shine
Celine Dion - On ne Change Pas
Neil Diamond - 12 Songs
Our Lady Peace - Healthy in Paranoid Times
Chris Botti - To Love Again
Van Zant - Get Right With the Man
Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound
The Coral - The Invisible Invasion
Acceptance - Phantoms
Susie Suh - Susie Suh
Amerie - Touch
Life of Agony - Broken Valley
Horace Silver Quintet - Silver's Blue
Gerry Mulligan - Jeru
Dexter Gordon - Manhattan Symphonie
The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity
The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s
Dion - The Essential Dion
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
Ricky Martin - Life
My Morning Jacket - Z *
Santana - All That I Am *
Sarah McLachlan - Bloom Remix Album *

* features copy-protection technology that is not XCP, but still suspect

[boogieordie]

Awesome! it was all a big attempt to screw with Apple anyway.

[Belinda]

I agree with everybody that it is pretty stupid. We already have enough trouble with spyware as it is.
I tend not to play any real music cd's on my computer anyways, but I am glad sony is getting what they deserve!

[Marseille]

oh my goodness, I have some of the CDs on that list. I belive in supporting the artist if I like the music, but now, I am very angry!!! I bought those albums specifically to support artists and their rights, but now my computer has just started crashing at random. It never did that beforem I didn't know what was going on. Now that I understand, I am furious.

[Jennie Mae]

Originally Posted by lotusoka

My computer wouldn't let me rip my copy to my computer.. :|

I had to download the songs to get them onto my iPod.

Same with me for the Natasha CD, I tried everything to get it to copy and it wouldn't let me. Good thing tho...

[HvnSntGurl]

Thats messed up. Good thing I rarely listen to any of Sony's music.

[qwerty]

Thank goodness someone did something about the idiotic actions Sony has taken. Sony's being totally stupid about this; if they don't want their customers to rip their music, they should do something else to solve it other than ripping the customers themselves.

[cleftjuston]

i read it in the papers