Sony + DRM Rootkit = Real Bad Stuff
Sysinternals have posted a really interesting and worrying article about the latest Sony DRM bundled with their latest audio CDs. Basically when you put the CD in your PC it will only play with the bundled Sony software. What it doesn't tell you is that it installs a rootkit (a hidden set of files sitting below the Windows file layer, normally used by spammers and baddies). The rootkit will enable the Sony DRM making it impossible to convert the CDs to MP3.
Here's the real kicker: You can't uninstall it. If you remove it manually your CD player will not work until you reinstall Windows!
Read on, for your own good:
Mark's Sysinternals Blog: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far
I understand why companies want to protect their products but this is INSANE. One reason why I almost never buy CDs now is the copy protection. Not because I'm a mad pirate guy but because I listen to music on my laptop or PC. If I can't play the CD on those formats I'll almost never listen to them thus making my purchase a waste of money.
Punishing innocent consumers is not good practise. It'll hurt the music companies more long-term.
Steve Gibson & Leo Laporte talk about this in the latest episode of Security Now!
posted by Aline @ 9:59 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
It's strange to see Sony's a sad devotion to such an old outmoded system. Basically, Sony are now vandals!
Instead of all this copy protection crud, they should be building a proper framework for music/movie distribution on the PSP (and soon, PS3).
A bloke once said . . .
"the only way to insure continued success is to get out in front of your competitors and then run like crazy to stay in front" i.e. innovate.
Or you can sabotage your customers. Welcome to the digital age folks!
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