I think shooting people in the head over this fiasco is not only unnecessary, but ridiculously extreme. It’s much more effective to hit them where it hurts most and stop buying CDs have have this crap on them. Not too difficult to do as the EFF has released a list of CDs containing this software on them and places like Amazon actually are putting warnings up on their listings for said products indicating that they have copy protection on them.

On the plus side, all this outrage is having an effect. Not only is Sony not going to use this protection scheme on their CDs going forward, but they’re yanking existing stock from stores to stop it going any further and offering exchanges to folks who’ve already purchased copies:

Sony BMG Music Entertainment said Monday it will pull some of its most popular CDs from stores in response to backlash over copy-protection software on the discs.

Sony also said it will offer exchanges for consumers who purchased the discs, which contain hidden files that leave them vulnerable to computer viruses when played on a PC.

“Sony BMG deeply regrets any inconvenience to our customers and remains committed to providing an enjoyable and safe music experience,” the company said. Sony says more than 20 titles have been released with the XCP copy-protection software, and of those CDs, over 4 million have been manufactured, and 2.1 million sold.

Hit them where it hurts the most and they will listen.

This isn’t only huge security risk and outrageous breaking of consumer’s right but also enormous stability risk.
Like everyone who’s “playing” with computers knows, installing even plain software can cause serious problems, even crash OS, not to mention drivers but this is entirely different thing.
Now we’re talking about messing up in kernel/“core” level of OS.

IMO these copyright fascists should be executed, in this case approriate method would be 0.50” BMG. (but to legs instead of head, headshot would be too merciful)

This case shows well ethics and moral of capital and big corporation. Neither they want real competition and balance of demand and supply, what they desire is totalitarian control of market and stranglehold from consumer.

And that’s why they don’t want anything which would lead to some kind balance, like this.
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/22/customers_of_new_uk_.html

And remember that Macro$hits anti-“trustworthy computing” is just continuation of these.

check the link http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/sony_drm_trojan/ for a sinister twist and turn to this story… now Sony will have to react properly!

By breaking the seal on this CD, you have agreed to these terms.

We were talking about this at lunch.

So what happens when you get a CD home, and you get an EULA which is inside the case, that you don’t agree with.

Does the store have to take it back?
Does the company who sells it? (e.g Sony?)

I know that there was an effort to make Microsoft buy back copies of windows a few years ago, on pre-installed systems, but am not sure where that ever went.

Just curious

So, can Sony get sued for this? Who knows. Can Microsoft, every Linux company, every BSD company, and Apple get sued because of DRM circumvention? Who knows. Can Blizzard sue Sony for circumventing it’s anti-hacker/security software? Who knows.

This is what happens when Congress is allowed to make tech decisions.

TheJynxed – someons GOTTA make decisions on tech (law). I’d say that an elected body is a good start. Now if you are complainign about the technical savvy of elected bodies… ah well, might as well complain about the fact that the collected intelligence of a comittee is lower than that of its average member.

“This CD recording is for your own exclusive personal use. You may not distribute, copy or backup this CD in any way. You may not play the music on this CD to any third party.

As far as I know, its already illegal (read: impossible) to sell Half-Life 2…

Legal? Sure, as logn as we are talking new contracs. Unpleasant though. For sure.

I’m just waiting for the resale of CDs to become illegal. I own about 500, most of which were bought 2nd hand. I can forsee a time when a CD will have a license that will say :-

“This CD recording is for your own exclusive personal use. You may not distribute, copy or backup this CD in any way. You may not play the music on this CD to any third party. You may not dispose of this CD in any way that a third party gains access to the music stored on it, including sale, rent, loan or any other method. You are responsible for securing this CD against third party access. If we judge that a third party has accessed/listened to the music on this CD through your negligence, you will be liable under law for damages to us in the amount of not less than $10,000 per violation. If you have deliberately permitted a third party access to the music on the CD you will be liable for damages of not less than $100,000 per violation, and we will notify law enforcement where you may face felony charges of Unauthorised Distribution of Copyrighted Material, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. By breaking the seal on this CD, you have agreed to these terms.”

Naturally these t&c will be inside the CD case…

Far fetched? Or plausible? You decide…

This is one of the myriad reasons I run (only) Linux. Though given that I live in California, maybe I should install Windows on one of my own boxes, buy the CD, and stick it in the drive. Then I could get in on the class action lawsuit!

Ok, I tried to post earlier, so here goes my third attempt…

Sony’s rootkit can be circumvented by:

A) Disabling Autorun. It can’t install if autorun in Windows is disabled.

B) Running Linux, BSD, MacOSX, etc.

C) Allowing the rootkit to install, but then appending $sys$ to the front of any file’s name that you want to hide from the rootkit and from other prying eyes, such as Blizzard’s Warden.

So, can Sony get sued for this? Who knows. Can Microsoft, every Linux company, every BSD company, and Apple get sued because of DRM circumvention? Who knows. Can Blizzard sue Sony for circumventing it’s anti-hacker/security software? Who knows.

This is what happens when Congress is allowed to make tech decisions.

This is exactly the reason I haven’t bought a CD in the past 5 years (aside from the fact that they still cost an arm and a leg) – they tangle you up in so many unneeded double-edged addons and self-interested ‘protection’ programs, then sue you when you try to get yourself out of the shitstorm they produce in their wake.

And hey, on that note, according to time-warner, if you mute commercials or channel surf on TV, you are officially a thief and the TV execs hate you…if you download MP3s, you are officially a thief and the RIAA hates you…if you dub a movie off HBO, you are officially a thief and the MPAA hates you…whats next? Am I still allowed to store leftover pizza in the fridge, or will pizza hut sue me?

Len,

I agree and right-thinking people in most walks of life might agree but what are the chances that the courts will ultimately end up protecting the consumer rather than the company? On appeal I suspect that any protections that the consumer might win will be overturned, because you know, we are all children that can’t be trusted to make our own decisions.

Now where’s my damn binkie?