Sony music CD copyright protection
 

Did you guys hear about that? Malware in CDs, what's next?....

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/11/sony.copyprotection.ap/index.html

Though, it's pretty funny that the hackers are using this program against itself and using it to create hacks for World of Warcraft, lol

Doesn't surprise me at all. I used to work for a multimedia company that had to deal with Sony Records - it was like dealing with paranoid-schizophrenic mafia. Their attitude it very much "screw them, screw them all".

Sony is actually getting sued over this. They've said they'll stop putting in that software. Linky here

You do realise that would fall as a federal offense(that lovely interstate commerece clause) to illegaly install software on someone computer without there permission.


Congrats, sony has proved there assholes.

That pretty well seals the fact im not going to be buying new music anytime soon....

BTW, when I clicked on the URL, rather than taking me to

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Musi....ap/index.html

it took me to

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread180910/pg1

What's up with that? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/dead.gif

I realized that also, lol Silly me got the wrong URL, and when I replace the old one I forgot to change the src, oh well http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/tongue.gif

By the way, a lot of people are boycotting buying their music CDs. There are about 20 millions copies out there with this software on them. I'm sure hackers are happy to get their hands on them. Also, if you're too lazy to read the entire thing. Here's my summary of what's the problem is and you should know about it because it might affects you one way or another:

1. The program that comes with the CD forces the user install the program before they're allow to play the CDs, and the user can only install it 3 times on any computer
2. The program reports to Sony what music you listen to everytime you play music. Basically capture most of your activities, and it takes 2% of your system memory. Worst of all, it's hidden and cannot be seen by any anti-virus programs. That also means it is extremely vulnerable to hackers.
3. If you try to remove it, your system will be corrupted. All you can do is to wipe out the old system files, and re-install windows.
4. Currently Sony offers an "uninstallation" of this program, basically, the unstallation program is just another hack to hack the original program. Either way, the best way is to wipe your system and re-install windows.

So if you were one of those people who brought the most recent Neil Diamonds CDs, watch out. Of course there are bunch more, I don't have the list. And yes, Sony stops putting them on CDs now. Just remember there are 20 millions of them out there, just watch out. It's the worst malware to me so far.

Actually, what they were doing is not illegal. When you went to play one of these CD's it asks you to install the software, but will not play the CD without installing the software. There may be a chance of getting them on failure to disclose if they weren't up front about everything that was being installed.

Either way, it's a crappy way of doing business and the whole ordeal has probably cost them quite a bit more than they hopped to save of this little venture.