Sony drops antipiracy technology from its CDs
Ted Bridis, Associated Press
November 12, 2005
WASHINGTON - Stung by continuing criticism, the world's second-largest music label, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, promised Friday to temporarily suspend making music CDs with antipiracy technology that can leave computers vulnerable to hackers.
Sony defended its right to prevent customers from illegally copying music but said that, as a precautionary measure, it will halt manufacturing CDs with the "XCP" technology. "We also intend to reexamine all aspects of our content protection initiative to be sure that it continues to meet our goals of security and ease of consumer use," the company said in a prepared statement.
The antipiracy technology, which works only on Windows computers, prevents customers from making more than a few copies of the compact disc and prevents them from loading the CD's songs onto Apple Computer's popular iPod music players.
Some other music players, which recognize Microsoft's proprietary music format, would work.
Sony's announcement came one day after leading security companies disclosed that hackers were distributing malicious programs over the Internet that exploited the antipiracy technology's ability to avoid detection. Hackers discovered that they can effectively render their programs invisible by using names for computer files similar to ones cloaked by the Sony technology.
A Homeland Security official cautioned entertainment companies against discouraging piracy in ways that also make computers vulnerable. Stewart Baker, assistant secretary for policy at DHS, did not cite Sony by name in his remarks Thursday but described industry efforts to install hidden files on consumers' computers.
"It's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property, it's not your computer," Baker said at a trade conference on piracy. "And in the pursuit of protection of intellectual property, it's important not to defeat or undermine the security measures that people need to adopt in these days."
Sony's program is included on about 20 popular music titles, including releases by Van Zant and the Bad Plus.
"This is a step they should have taken immediately," said Mark Russinovich, chief software architect at Winternals Software, who discovered the hidden copy-protection technology Oct. 31 and posted his findings on his Web log. He said Sony did not admit wrongdoing, nor did it promise not to use similar techniques in the future.
Security researchers have described Sony's technology as "spyware," saying it is difficult to remove and transmits without warning details about what music is playing. They said Sony's notice to consumers about the technology was inadequate. Sony executives have rejected the description of their technology as spyware.
Some leading antivirus companies updated their protective software this week to detect Sony's antipiracy program, disable it and prevent it from reinstalling.
After Russinovich criticized Sony, it made available a software patch that removed the technology's ability to avoid detection. It also made more broadly available its instructions on how to remove the software permanently. Customers who remove the software are unable to listen to music CDs on their computers.
On Nov 12, 2005, at 3:43 PM, Lora Crighton wrote:
On 11/11/05, David W. Fenton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: On 11 Nov 2005 at 12:47, Robert Patterson wrote:
> Christopher Smith wrote:I read the EULA, and it seemed to imply that the program was removable. I usually just click without reading all the clauses, but after reading that one, I realize that I have been silly - I think it is scary just how onesided the agreement is. You are basically letting them say they can disable your computer and destroy your data, but have no liability to you.
>
> > I would sue if
> > something like this was installed on my computer by a so-called
> > reputable company.
>
> As much as I agree with the sentiment, I suspect anyone who is
> infected with this thing clicked thru a license agreement that allowed
> Sony to install their software.
But the EULA was deceptive and did not fully explain what the
software was doing and what its risks were. To me, almost every EULA
I've ever seen is so misleading as to be practically a lie, but this
one was an actual LIE in that it omitted crucially important
information about what you were agreeing to.
But, even if none of the lawsuits against Sony succeed, Sony hasI do alot of my CD listening at the computer, and I will certainly think twice before I buy another Sony CD.
already lost revenue, because a large number of people who were
wholly unaffected by this rootkit will refuse to ever buy Sony
products of any kind, for fear of some other nefarious activity on
Sony's part.
Lora
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