Those pesky Sony/BMG CDs
the artists strike back…
Sony Artists offering home-burned CDs to replace spyware-infected discs
Sony refuses to recall CDs infected with Sunncomm's MediaMax spyware, so some artists are running their own recall programs, offering home-burned CDs to fans who complain that the software prevents them from ripping their CDs.
Artist managers have been vocal in their opposition to the use of copy-protection software. "I just don't think that this is the answer to the problem that they think exists," says the manager of one veteran artist affected by the XCP software. Mike Martinovich, manager for My Morning Jacket, says that even before the revelation of MediaMax's security problems, his company had been mailing burned, unprotected copies of MMJ's new album Z to fans who complained that MediaMax prevented them from transferring songs to their iPods. "It should have been enough that fans are annoyed," he says. "But this should be the final reason."
Rolling Stone Story
Sony Artists offering home-burned CDs to replace spyware-infected discs
Sony refuses to recall CDs infected with Sunncomm's MediaMax spyware, so some artists are running their own recall programs, offering home-burned CDs to fans who complain that the software prevents them from ripping their CDs.
Artist managers have been vocal in their opposition to the use of copy-protection software. "I just don't think that this is the answer to the problem that they think exists," says the manager of one veteran artist affected by the XCP software. Mike Martinovich, manager for My Morning Jacket, says that even before the revelation of MediaMax's security problems, his company had been mailing burned, unprotected copies of MMJ's new album Z to fans who complained that MediaMax prevented them from transferring songs to their iPods. "It should have been enough that fans are annoyed," he says. "But this should be the final reason."
Rolling Stone Story
Interesting read:
http://www.emailbattles.com/archive/battles/security_aacejifdhf_ic/
Smart computer users know that once a computer is infected by a rootkit, it's changed forever. And as Windows rootkits go, Hacker Defender is among the most dangerous. The author of Hacker Defender, holy_father, explains why he does what he does, and what you can do to detect his rootkit.
Don't know that I agree with him, but it was definitely intriguing.
http://www.emailbattles.com/archive/battles/security_aacejifdhf_ic/
Smart computer users know that once a computer is infected by a rootkit, it's changed forever. And as Windows rootkits go, Hacker Defender is among the most dangerous. The author of Hacker Defender, holy_father, explains why he does what he does, and what you can do to detect his rootkit.
Don't know that I agree with him, but it was definitely intriguing.
Sony settles lawsuit over the copy protected CDs… Does cover everyone who bought those disks or only in states where Sony was sued. Regardless, I for one am looking forward to getting my $15 back, can't say I could ever find 6 titles to download.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/963aaecc-7bb1-11da-ab8e-0000779e2340.html
Sony BMG settles suits over â??flawedâ?? music CDs
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: January 2 2006 17:11 | Last updated: January 2 2006 17:11
Sony and BMGSony BMG has put the biggest of its legal challenges behind it.
The music company has settled a series of class-action lawsuits stemming from its use of software that was intended to prevent illegal copying of its CDs but left customersâ?? computers vulnerable to viruses and other attacks.
Ending a year in which it has been shaken by bad publicity surrounding the digital rights management software, the music company offered free music downloads and agreed to stop making CDs with the offending XCP or MediaMax software.
The company also agreed to bring in an independent auditor to confirm to customers it has not and will not use their personal data.
Sony BMG produced 4.7m CDs containing the software, of which nearly 3m were sold. It will pay an undisclosed amount for the recall of affected discs, and will also bear the cost of compensating members of the class-action suits.
Consumers who bought any of the 52 titles with XCP software will receive replacement copies and the choice of two compensation packages: a cash payment of $7.50 and one free album download; or three free album downloads. Users of the MediaMax software will receive a free download.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs welcomed the settlement, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital free-speech advocacy group, said would â??provide significant benefits for consumers who bought the flawed CDsâ?.
The copy protection problem emerged after a security researcher revealed on his blog that a Sony BMG CD had installed a â??rootkitâ? â?? tools used by hackers to disguise their presence â?? on his computer.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/963aaecc-7bb1-11da-ab8e-0000779e2340.html
Sony BMG settles suits over â??flawedâ?? music CDs
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: January 2 2006 17:11 | Last updated: January 2 2006 17:11
Sony and BMGSony BMG has put the biggest of its legal challenges behind it.
The music company has settled a series of class-action lawsuits stemming from its use of software that was intended to prevent illegal copying of its CDs but left customersâ?? computers vulnerable to viruses and other attacks.
Ending a year in which it has been shaken by bad publicity surrounding the digital rights management software, the music company offered free music downloads and agreed to stop making CDs with the offending XCP or MediaMax software.
The company also agreed to bring in an independent auditor to confirm to customers it has not and will not use their personal data.
Sony BMG produced 4.7m CDs containing the software, of which nearly 3m were sold. It will pay an undisclosed amount for the recall of affected discs, and will also bear the cost of compensating members of the class-action suits.
Consumers who bought any of the 52 titles with XCP software will receive replacement copies and the choice of two compensation packages: a cash payment of $7.50 and one free album download; or three free album downloads. Users of the MediaMax software will receive a free download.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs welcomed the settlement, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital free-speech advocacy group, said would â??provide significant benefits for consumers who bought the flawed CDsâ?.
The copy protection problem emerged after a security researcher revealed on his blog that a Sony BMG CD had installed a â??rootkitâ? â?? tools used by hackers to disguise their presence â?? on his computer.
Where do we sign up to get our $7.50?
shrug
Some analysis of the Sony BMG Rootkit lawsuit settlement, but no mention of how to get in. Includes a list of 175 titles one will be able to download for free, with very little of interest but including oddly enough the only Rockpile CD released. Those owning the MediaMax copy protected CD, i.e. BRMC, get one non-DRMed download.
http://sonysuit.com/
Is this the "best" 175 they have to offer?
http://sonysuit.com/
Is this the "best" 175 they have to offer?
anyone get thier replacement discs yet? mine arrived today without copy protection and just for giggles and grins i even ripped them into iTunes on a Windoze machine. To bad it cost Sony millions of dollars in order to prevent me from listening to the cd on my puter.
http://www.eff.org/sony/
The settlement process has begun in EFF's class action lawsuit against Sony BMG for the flawed digital rights management (DRM) that Sony BMG released in millions of CDs over the last several years.
Music fans who bought the affected CDs can submit claims for clean music.
Many customers are also eligible for extra downloads or a small cash settlement.
The settlement process has begun in EFF's class action lawsuit against Sony BMG for the flawed digital rights management (DRM) that Sony BMG released in millions of CDs over the last several years.
Music fans who bought the affected CDs can submit claims for clean music.
Many customers are also eligible for extra downloads or a small cash settlement.
Having already replaced my rootkit inflected CDs, I got my settlement paperwork for those. The list of DRMed downloadable CDs on offer is pretty dismal…