The SONY root kit fiasco
The following I got from QuarkIT's newsletter - reprinted here with pemission. It provides the best summary of the issues that I have read. As far as I am concerned they should get crimininal charges for what was done - I would if I did the same things..Sony and Rootkits
Firstly let me say that I have no issue whatsoever with a company protecting its intellectual property, copyrights, trademarks or other assets by legal and safe methods of enforcement.
What I draw the line at is any company using nefarious means such as viruses, trojans, rootkits, baseball bats or anti-competitive behavior to force another party into submission.
What I'm riled about at this point in time is Sony BMG using a program known as a "rootkit" as part of its anti piracy protection mechanisms. Of course, this rootkit is only installed on the systems of those purchasers of the original CDs that use this copyright "protection" method and is never going to stop those who want to pirate any Sony BMG CDs. This is tantamount to a car manufacturer putting components in the brake system that are dissolved by brake fluid on all of their new cars to ensure that owners don't drive the cars over 110 Kmph.
Because of the publicity that this mind numbingly stupid move on Sony BMG's part has generated, not only have their been a number of trojans written to exploit this rootkit, but Sony BMG looks to be in legal trouble in a number of countries over this malicious software they install.
In California and New York there have been class-action lawsuits filed against Sony for the damage that this rootkit has caused to the computers of those people who bought any of the 20 copy protected CDs in question (including artists such as Natasha Bedingfield, Neil Diamond, Sarah McLachlan, Ricky Martin, Santana and Celine Dion).
While on the topic of Celine Dion, I think they need playback protection on her discs, not copy protection!
As an addendum, the NOD32 already picked up the rootkit and will prevent it from installing, and also will remove it if found.
frakkle.com
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