If you play Sony Music CDs on a Windows PC then be afraid
Posted by: Guido Fawkes on 03 November 2005
If you play Sony Music CDs on a Windows PC then be afraid, be very afraid - this may be of interest
Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far.
Doesn't affect Mac users
Sony BMG's 'Get Right with the Man' CD by the Van Zant brothers will result in disruptive (and apparently badly written) software being installed on your computer. Please read this URL for more details.
Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far.
Doesn't affect Mac users
Sony BMG's 'Get Right with the Man' CD by the Van Zant brothers will result in disruptive (and apparently badly written) software being installed on your computer. Please read this URL for more details.
Posted on: 22 November 2005 by Guido Fawkes
BBC News: Sony sued over controversial CDs - if you live in Texas collect $100,000 (could fund that CD555/552/500 system you always wanted).
Posted on: 22 November 2005 by Martin D
Posted on: 23 November 2005 by Rockingdoc
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Two-Sheds:
Could Sony have handled the situation any worse?? Anyway I've found a couple of useful links.
First there is a full list of all of the 52 XCP titles.
The list is incomplete, because it doesn't contain the Clapton album which bit my PC
Could Sony have handled the situation any worse?? Anyway I've found a couple of useful links.
First there is a full list of all of the 52 XCP titles.
The list is incomplete, because it doesn't contain the Clapton album which bit my PC
Posted on: 23 November 2005 by Martin D
Sony's long-term rootkit CD woes
Cyndi Lauper and Ray Charles are on the full list of XCP CDs
Internet professor Michael Geist explains why Sony's rootkit problems have significant long-term implications for the industry.
Sony BMG, the world's second largest record label, has for the past three weeks been the subject of a corporate embarrassment that rivals earlier public relations nightmares involving tampered Tylenol and contaminated Perrier.
While in the short-term one of the world's best-known brands has suffered enormous damage, the longer-term implications are even more significant - a fundamental re-thinking of policies toward digital locks known as technological protection measures (TPMs).
The Sony case started innocently enough with a Halloween day blog posting by Mark Russinovich, an intrepid computer security researcher.
Mr Russinovich discovered his own tale of horror - Sony was using a copy-protection TPM on some of its CDs that quietly installed a software program known as a "rootkit" on users' computers.
The use of the rootkit set off alarm bells for Mr Russinovich, who immediately identified it as a potential security risk since hackers and virus writers frequently exploit such programs to turn personal computers into "zombies" that can send millions of spam messages, steal personal information, or launch denial of service attacks.
While the Sony saga has still not ended, it is increasingly clear that it will have a long-term impact on consumers and policy makers
Moreover, attempts to uninstall the program proved difficult, as either his CD-Rom drive was no longer recognised or his computer crashed.
Although users were presented with a series of terms and conditions that refer to software installation before launching the CD, it is safe to assume that few, if any, realised that they were creating both a security and potential privacy risk as well as setting themselves up for a "Hotel California" type program that checks in but never leaves.
Class action
While Sony and the normally vocal recording industry associations stood largely silent - a company executive dismissed the concerns stating that "most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it" - the repercussions escalated daily.
One group identified at least 20 affected CDs, including releases from international artists such as Celine Dion and Neil Diamond.
Class action lawsuits were launched in the US, a criminal investigation began in Italy, and anti-spyware companies gradually updated their programs to include the Sony rootkit.
Nearly two weeks after the initial disclosure, Sony finally issued an apology, indicating that it was suspending use of the TPM and issuing a software patch to remove the rootkit.
At about the same time things went from bad to worse. It was soon discovered that Sony's patch created its own security risk - potentially leaving personal computers even more vulnerable than with the initial rootkit - and was pulled from its website.
Sony BMG has released the full list of XCP CDs
The company also recalled millions of CDs, losing tens of millions in revenue and effectively acknowledging that the CD was a hazardous product.
The recall was even bigger than anticipated as Sony disclosed that there were at least 52 affected CDs. Moreover, researchers estimated that the damaging program had infected at least 500,000 computers in 165 countries.
Finally, just when it appeared that Sony had hit bottom, analysis of the rootkit revealed that it included open source software code contrary to the applicable licence.
In other words, Sony itself may have infringed the copyright of a group of software programmers and be on the hook for significant copyright infringement damages.
While the Sony saga has still not ended, it is increasingly clear that it will have a long-term impact on consumers and policy makers.
The incident has alerted millions of consumers to the potential misuse of TPMs as well as to the need for consumer protections from such systems.
While policy makers have raced to provide legal protections for TPMs (known as anti-circumvention legislation since the provisions prohibit attempts to circumvent the digital locks), the real need is to protect against the misuse of this technology.
The Sony case provides a vivid illustration of how TPMs can create real security and privacy risks.
The US Computer Emergency Response Team was jointly established in 2003 by the US government and the private sector with the aim of protecting the internet infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
It advised users that they should not "install software from sources that you do not expect to contain software, such as an audio CD".
Moreover, Stewart Baker, the US Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary of policy, admonished the music industry, reminding them that "it's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property - it's not your computer.
"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."
Worldwide action
Mr Baker's comments point, as well, to another issue that has been percolating for some time, namely that TPMs not only put users' property at risk, but they also limit use of lawfully-acquired personal property.
Justice Ian Binnie of the Supreme Court of Canada raised this concern in a copyright case several years ago when he noted that "once an authorised copy of a work is sold to a member of the public, it is generally for the purchaser, not the author, to determine what happens to it".
The Australian High Court expressed similar sentiments in a decision issued last month that ironically also involved Sony.
It rejected Sony's attempt to block the use of "mod chips", utilised by video game players to unlock copy-protected games purchased outside the country.
It emphasised that "the right of the individual to enjoy lawfully acquired private property (a CD-Rom game or a PlayStation console purchased in another region of the world or possibly to make a backup copy of the CD-Rom) would ordinarily be a right inherent in Australian law upon the acquisition of such a chattel."
The incident should also galvanise regulators and political leaders worldwide.
Data protection commissioners should use their powers to investigate other potentially invasive uses of TPMs, while fair business practice regulators should consider whether Sony violated deceptive practice legislation.
Moreover, countries should begin to reconsider the rush to provide legal protection for TPMs as embodied in the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the European Union's Copyright Directive.
The approach evidently has the effect of protecting spyware, undermining consumer confidence, and ultimately reducing the sales of musical artists.
The Tylenol and Perrier debacles led to dramatic changes in corporate practice and consumer protections.
Similarly, with consumer backlash against protected music CDs and licensing agreements, policy maker worries about the privacy and security implications of TPMs, and the courts' concern for personal property rights, the Sony rootkit case is destined to resonate long after the CDs disappear from store shelves.
Cyndi Lauper and Ray Charles are on the full list of XCP CDs
Internet professor Michael Geist explains why Sony's rootkit problems have significant long-term implications for the industry.
Sony BMG, the world's second largest record label, has for the past three weeks been the subject of a corporate embarrassment that rivals earlier public relations nightmares involving tampered Tylenol and contaminated Perrier.
While in the short-term one of the world's best-known brands has suffered enormous damage, the longer-term implications are even more significant - a fundamental re-thinking of policies toward digital locks known as technological protection measures (TPMs).
The Sony case started innocently enough with a Halloween day blog posting by Mark Russinovich, an intrepid computer security researcher.
Mr Russinovich discovered his own tale of horror - Sony was using a copy-protection TPM on some of its CDs that quietly installed a software program known as a "rootkit" on users' computers.
The use of the rootkit set off alarm bells for Mr Russinovich, who immediately identified it as a potential security risk since hackers and virus writers frequently exploit such programs to turn personal computers into "zombies" that can send millions of spam messages, steal personal information, or launch denial of service attacks.
While the Sony saga has still not ended, it is increasingly clear that it will have a long-term impact on consumers and policy makers
Moreover, attempts to uninstall the program proved difficult, as either his CD-Rom drive was no longer recognised or his computer crashed.
Although users were presented with a series of terms and conditions that refer to software installation before launching the CD, it is safe to assume that few, if any, realised that they were creating both a security and potential privacy risk as well as setting themselves up for a "Hotel California" type program that checks in but never leaves.
Class action
While Sony and the normally vocal recording industry associations stood largely silent - a company executive dismissed the concerns stating that "most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it" - the repercussions escalated daily.
One group identified at least 20 affected CDs, including releases from international artists such as Celine Dion and Neil Diamond.
Class action lawsuits were launched in the US, a criminal investigation began in Italy, and anti-spyware companies gradually updated their programs to include the Sony rootkit.
Nearly two weeks after the initial disclosure, Sony finally issued an apology, indicating that it was suspending use of the TPM and issuing a software patch to remove the rootkit.
At about the same time things went from bad to worse. It was soon discovered that Sony's patch created its own security risk - potentially leaving personal computers even more vulnerable than with the initial rootkit - and was pulled from its website.
Sony BMG has released the full list of XCP CDs
The company also recalled millions of CDs, losing tens of millions in revenue and effectively acknowledging that the CD was a hazardous product.
The recall was even bigger than anticipated as Sony disclosed that there were at least 52 affected CDs. Moreover, researchers estimated that the damaging program had infected at least 500,000 computers in 165 countries.
Finally, just when it appeared that Sony had hit bottom, analysis of the rootkit revealed that it included open source software code contrary to the applicable licence.
In other words, Sony itself may have infringed the copyright of a group of software programmers and be on the hook for significant copyright infringement damages.
While the Sony saga has still not ended, it is increasingly clear that it will have a long-term impact on consumers and policy makers.
The incident has alerted millions of consumers to the potential misuse of TPMs as well as to the need for consumer protections from such systems.
While policy makers have raced to provide legal protections for TPMs (known as anti-circumvention legislation since the provisions prohibit attempts to circumvent the digital locks), the real need is to protect against the misuse of this technology.
The Sony case provides a vivid illustration of how TPMs can create real security and privacy risks.
The US Computer Emergency Response Team was jointly established in 2003 by the US government and the private sector with the aim of protecting the internet infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
It advised users that they should not "install software from sources that you do not expect to contain software, such as an audio CD".
Moreover, Stewart Baker, the US Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary of policy, admonished the music industry, reminding them that "it's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property - it's not your computer.
"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."
Worldwide action
Mr Baker's comments point, as well, to another issue that has been percolating for some time, namely that TPMs not only put users' property at risk, but they also limit use of lawfully-acquired personal property.
Justice Ian Binnie of the Supreme Court of Canada raised this concern in a copyright case several years ago when he noted that "once an authorised copy of a work is sold to a member of the public, it is generally for the purchaser, not the author, to determine what happens to it".
The Australian High Court expressed similar sentiments in a decision issued last month that ironically also involved Sony.
It rejected Sony's attempt to block the use of "mod chips", utilised by video game players to unlock copy-protected games purchased outside the country.
It emphasised that "the right of the individual to enjoy lawfully acquired private property (a CD-Rom game or a PlayStation console purchased in another region of the world or possibly to make a backup copy of the CD-Rom) would ordinarily be a right inherent in Australian law upon the acquisition of such a chattel."
The incident should also galvanise regulators and political leaders worldwide.
Data protection commissioners should use their powers to investigate other potentially invasive uses of TPMs, while fair business practice regulators should consider whether Sony violated deceptive practice legislation.
Moreover, countries should begin to reconsider the rush to provide legal protection for TPMs as embodied in the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the European Union's Copyright Directive.
The approach evidently has the effect of protecting spyware, undermining consumer confidence, and ultimately reducing the sales of musical artists.
The Tylenol and Perrier debacles led to dramatic changes in corporate practice and consumer protections.
Similarly, with consumer backlash against protected music CDs and licensing agreements, policy maker worries about the privacy and security implications of TPMs, and the courts' concern for personal property rights, the Sony rootkit case is destined to resonate long after the CDs disappear from store shelves.
Posted on: 23 November 2005 by garyi
Trying to limit piracy by making the audio CD unusable is just madness shurely?
Seriously if Sony were the government you would expect a fair few sackings now eh?
Seriously if Sony were the government you would expect a fair few sackings now eh?
Posted on: 23 November 2005 by Nime
Fascinating post Martin.
Does this mean that the same buggers who have been chasing kids for tens of thousands of pounds for copyright invasion (for downloading a few songs) have been up to exactly the same tricks themselves?
Does this mean the kids will get a refund of their compensation payments made to Big Brother Sony and their friends?
Is all this likely to affect the strict conditions software suppliers place on their "customers"?
Does this mean that the same buggers who have been chasing kids for tens of thousands of pounds for copyright invasion (for downloading a few songs) have been up to exactly the same tricks themselves?
Does this mean the kids will get a refund of their compensation payments made to Big Brother Sony and their friends?
Is all this likely to affect the strict conditions software suppliers place on their "customers"?
Posted on: 23 November 2005 by Martin D
cheers nime
"customers" what a strange concept to some companies!
"customers" what a strange concept to some companies!
Posted on: 01 January 2006 by Martin D
Sony to settle anti-piracy CD row
Free music downloads and cash refunds could soon be offered to owners of Sony BMG CDs loaded with controversial anti-piracy software.
The offers are part of a proposed settlement of lawsuits against Sony BMG over the use of software aimed at thwarting illegal copying of CDs.
The programs used left consumers open to attack from viruses that hijacked the music maker's software.
The proposed deal also forces Sony to stop using the controversial software.
Legal trouble
The row about the software Sony BMG used to try to stop illegal copying of its CDs blew up in October when programmer Mark Russinovich noticed his PC had been infected by a type of malicious program known as a "rootkit".
He found that the rootkit came from XCP anti-piracy software on a Sony BMG CD. It also left his machine open to exploit by malicious programmers and computer virus writers.
He publicised his findings and it soon turned into a PR disaster for the music maker. Sony eventually recalled all CDs using XCP and offered refunds to consumers.
Other researchers found separately that the MediaMax anti-piracy software used by Sony BMG on other CDs also left consumers' PCs open to a variety of security problems.
In all, millions of CDs are thought to have been sold that use the controversial programs. Sony BMG has released a list of the 52 discs that use XCP and the 34 that used MediaMax. All the affected CDs were only sold in North America.
Consumers will be able to download from the Apple iTunes store
The publicity about the anti-piracy programs prompted class action lawsuits from aggrieved consumers.
Now a month of negotiation between Sony BMG and lawyers representing all the consumers that filed cases has resulted in the proposed settlement. The document outlining the deal is due to be approved by a US judge on 6 January, but few expect it to be rejected.
Owners of a CD with the XCP program are being offered a replacement disc free of anti-piracy software, $7.50 in cash and a free download of a Sony BMG album from an online music service. Consumers can forgo the cash and get three album downloads instead.
Those owning CDs that use MediaMax only get downloads rather than cash.
Significantly the deal also includes Apple's iTunes music store as previously Sony offered little help for consumers that wanted to put copy-protected music in their iPod.
Consumers that bought CDs using early versions of the anti-piracy programs only get replacement discs.
Independent audits
The deal also means Sony BMG must abandon use of the XCP and MediaMax programs and provide tools that help people clean the software from their PCs.
It must also fix any new vulnerabilities the programs are found to create or which are created by any anti-piracy system it adopts in the future.
Sony BMG must also change the way that it tries to protect music on discs and in the future must clearly label and test its anti-piracy systems. The methods it wants to adopt must also be independently audited.
The music maker offered no comment on the news of the settlement.
The deal does not end all the legal action started by the controversy. A lawsuit started by Texas attorney general Greg Abbott which charges Sony BMG with violating the state's spyware and anti-deceptive practices law is still outstanding.
Free music downloads and cash refunds could soon be offered to owners of Sony BMG CDs loaded with controversial anti-piracy software.
The offers are part of a proposed settlement of lawsuits against Sony BMG over the use of software aimed at thwarting illegal copying of CDs.
The programs used left consumers open to attack from viruses that hijacked the music maker's software.
The proposed deal also forces Sony to stop using the controversial software.
Legal trouble
The row about the software Sony BMG used to try to stop illegal copying of its CDs blew up in October when programmer Mark Russinovich noticed his PC had been infected by a type of malicious program known as a "rootkit".
He found that the rootkit came from XCP anti-piracy software on a Sony BMG CD. It also left his machine open to exploit by malicious programmers and computer virus writers.
He publicised his findings and it soon turned into a PR disaster for the music maker. Sony eventually recalled all CDs using XCP and offered refunds to consumers.
Other researchers found separately that the MediaMax anti-piracy software used by Sony BMG on other CDs also left consumers' PCs open to a variety of security problems.
In all, millions of CDs are thought to have been sold that use the controversial programs. Sony BMG has released a list of the 52 discs that use XCP and the 34 that used MediaMax. All the affected CDs were only sold in North America.
Consumers will be able to download from the Apple iTunes store
The publicity about the anti-piracy programs prompted class action lawsuits from aggrieved consumers.
Now a month of negotiation between Sony BMG and lawyers representing all the consumers that filed cases has resulted in the proposed settlement. The document outlining the deal is due to be approved by a US judge on 6 January, but few expect it to be rejected.
Owners of a CD with the XCP program are being offered a replacement disc free of anti-piracy software, $7.50 in cash and a free download of a Sony BMG album from an online music service. Consumers can forgo the cash and get three album downloads instead.
Those owning CDs that use MediaMax only get downloads rather than cash.
Significantly the deal also includes Apple's iTunes music store as previously Sony offered little help for consumers that wanted to put copy-protected music in their iPod.
Consumers that bought CDs using early versions of the anti-piracy programs only get replacement discs.
Independent audits
The deal also means Sony BMG must abandon use of the XCP and MediaMax programs and provide tools that help people clean the software from their PCs.
It must also fix any new vulnerabilities the programs are found to create or which are created by any anti-piracy system it adopts in the future.
Sony BMG must also change the way that it tries to protect music on discs and in the future must clearly label and test its anti-piracy systems. The methods it wants to adopt must also be independently audited.
The music maker offered no comment on the news of the settlement.
The deal does not end all the legal action started by the controversy. A lawsuit started by Texas attorney general Greg Abbott which charges Sony BMG with violating the state's spyware and anti-deceptive practices law is still outstanding.
Posted on: 01 January 2006 by Stuart M
The result of all this for me is that I will not buy Sony products (Even though the ideal laptop for me is a viao).
I always buy the CD (I can't stand the MP3 etc stuff through my system). Minimum for me is 256k AAC via main or if on bus/tube 128k.
If I get a protected CD, well fair use and all I want to crack it, in fact it becomes a challenge to do it as I paid for it and want to use it. DVD got a scratch - why can't I use a PC to read it intensivley and sort it out - the companies say I only have a licence to use it (hello I still have the licence the media is trashed - so why make me pay full wack for a replacement).
I'm all in favour of artists and record companies getting paid for what they do but it's getting this stupid.
One thing to remember these are the same people who tried to ban VHS (and then made a mint from video). Didn't wan't radio play and so on. Haven't they learned
I always buy the CD (I can't stand the MP3 etc stuff through my system). Minimum for me is 256k AAC via main or if on bus/tube 128k.
If I get a protected CD, well fair use and all I want to crack it, in fact it becomes a challenge to do it as I paid for it and want to use it. DVD got a scratch - why can't I use a PC to read it intensivley and sort it out - the companies say I only have a licence to use it (hello I still have the licence the media is trashed - so why make me pay full wack for a replacement).
I'm all in favour of artists and record companies getting paid for what they do but it's getting this stupid.
One thing to remember these are the same people who tried to ban VHS (and then made a mint from video). Didn't wan't radio play and so on. Haven't they learned
Posted on: 02 January 2006 by Martin D
Stuart
Ditto
Martin
Ditto
Martin
Posted on: 02 January 2006 by Guido Fawkes
For me MP3 is the medium of last resort when I can't get it on vinyl or CD - Vegetable Man and Scream Thy Last Scream by Syd Barrett and The Pink Floyd come to mind; I had Lucy Leave/King Bee on MP3, but as soon as it became available on CD I bought it.
I detest copy protection, especially of the Sony kind.
I detest copy protection, especially of the Sony kind.
Posted on: 02 January 2006 by gusi
<rant on>
This DRM/RIAAsuit stuff can get me really worked up. The idea that we are not allowed to play our own CDs on an Ipod or MP3 player is just ridiculous. I already own many albums on vinyl and CD (and often several different masters too). So now I have buy separate Itune copies (This is the law in AUS).
I wonder how many record execs have never made an audio cassette of an album for the car in years gone by.
I am all for the industry and artists making money but this is just not fair use.
Let's not forget that 100 years ago there was no recording industry. Technology has allowed the current recording label business models to prosper. Now technology has moved on and it is time for the recording industries to adjust their business plans. They have the popular artists under contract and enough money to buy some creative business consultants. By suing their customers we'll probably end up with an "open source" music industry as people are turned off by RIAA affiliated businesses.
The bottom line is that people love music in their lives and are happy to pay for it. That should be enough for anyone to set up a viable business.
It is enough to make you just buy second hand vinyl and not give any money to the labels.
<rant off>
This DRM/RIAAsuit stuff can get me really worked up. The idea that we are not allowed to play our own CDs on an Ipod or MP3 player is just ridiculous. I already own many albums on vinyl and CD (and often several different masters too). So now I have buy separate Itune copies (This is the law in AUS).
I wonder how many record execs have never made an audio cassette of an album for the car in years gone by.
I am all for the industry and artists making money but this is just not fair use.
Let's not forget that 100 years ago there was no recording industry. Technology has allowed the current recording label business models to prosper. Now technology has moved on and it is time for the recording industries to adjust their business plans. They have the popular artists under contract and enough money to buy some creative business consultants. By suing their customers we'll probably end up with an "open source" music industry as people are turned off by RIAA affiliated businesses.
The bottom line is that people love music in their lives and are happy to pay for it. That should be enough for anyone to set up a viable business.
It is enough to make you just buy second hand vinyl and not give any money to the labels.
<rant off>
Posted on: 12 January 2006 by Martin D
US judge approves Sony settlement
Millions of people look set to get free downloads from Sony BMG as a judge provisionally approves a settlement for many lawsuits against the music maker.
The settlement was negotiated following legal action over controversial copy protection technology.
The virus-like techniques used by the anti-copying system led to a lot of bad publicity for the music maker in 2005.
However, still pending are legal cases mounted by several US states over Sony BMG's anti-piracy technology.
Big deal
The row blew up in early November following the discovery that Sony BMG was protecting some of its CDs using a system called XCP.
When played on PCs, this software installed a proprietary media player and hid itself deep inside the Windows operating system.
Following reports that virus writers were starting to use this ability to hide their malicious creations, many consumers took legal action over the software.
Other consumers took action over CDs that were being protected with a technology known as MediaMax.
The consumer lawsuits were all rolled together and a tentative deal to settle them all was reached shortly after Christmas.
Now following a hearing U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald has given tentative approval to the terms of the deal.
The deal involves Sony BMG giving cash refunds and downloads to consumers who bought CDs that used the XCP technology. Consumers can forgo the cash and get more downloads.
Those who own CDs protected by MediaMax will only get downloads as part of the deal.
The settlement also requires Sony BMG to stop using XCP and MediaMax. The music firm is already recalling all XCP-using CDs but so far has said nothing about swapping MediaMac-using discs. The XCP technology was used on 52 releases and MediaMax on 27.
Sony BMG has also pledged to produce tools that make it easy to uninstall all traces of the XCP software.
Millions of people look set to get free downloads from Sony BMG as a judge provisionally approves a settlement for many lawsuits against the music maker.
The settlement was negotiated following legal action over controversial copy protection technology.
The virus-like techniques used by the anti-copying system led to a lot of bad publicity for the music maker in 2005.
However, still pending are legal cases mounted by several US states over Sony BMG's anti-piracy technology.
Big deal
The row blew up in early November following the discovery that Sony BMG was protecting some of its CDs using a system called XCP.
When played on PCs, this software installed a proprietary media player and hid itself deep inside the Windows operating system.
Following reports that virus writers were starting to use this ability to hide their malicious creations, many consumers took legal action over the software.
Other consumers took action over CDs that were being protected with a technology known as MediaMax.
The consumer lawsuits were all rolled together and a tentative deal to settle them all was reached shortly after Christmas.
Now following a hearing U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald has given tentative approval to the terms of the deal.
The deal involves Sony BMG giving cash refunds and downloads to consumers who bought CDs that used the XCP technology. Consumers can forgo the cash and get more downloads.
Those who own CDs protected by MediaMax will only get downloads as part of the deal.
The settlement also requires Sony BMG to stop using XCP and MediaMax. The music firm is already recalling all XCP-using CDs but so far has said nothing about swapping MediaMac-using discs. The XCP technology was used on 52 releases and MediaMax on 27.
Sony BMG has also pledged to produce tools that make it easy to uninstall all traces of the XCP software.
Posted on: 12 January 2006 by BigH47
quote:It is enough to make you just buy second hand vinyl and not give any money to the labels.
Hey don't give them any ideas. "Lets Tax S/H sales those bastards are getting away with something".
Howard