Sony BMG, yielding to consumer concern, said on Wednesday it was recalling music
CDs containing copy-protection software that acts like virus software and hides
deep inside a computer.
Sony BMG has used the XCP copy-protection software on 49 titles from artists
such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan and produced an estimated 4.7 million
music CDs. Around 2.1 million units have been sold on to consumers.
The software, developed by a British firm, First4Internet, installs itself on a
personal computer used to play the CD in order to guard against copying, but it
leaves the back door open for malicious hackers.
"We share the concerns of consumers regarding discs with XCP
content-protected software, and, for this reason, we are instituting a consumer
exchange program and removing all unsold CDs with this software from retail
outlets," Sony BMG said in an statement.
Sony BMG announced in a separate statement it would distribute a program to
remove the software from a PC where it jeopardizes security.
"We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our customers. Details
of this (recall) program will be announced shortly," Sony BMG
said.
Sony promised to issue more details about the swap program. Consumers can
identify their copy-protected CDs by a web address on the back of the CD
containing the letters XCP.
Of the 49 titles, 24 were new major releases. The remaining albums were reissues
and other material from the catalog.
Sony reiterated that the copy-protection software installs itself only on
personal computers and not on ordinary CD and DVD players. Market research group
NPD Group found in a recent survey that around 36 percent of consumers listen to
their CDs on a personal computer.
Problems with the copy-protection software became acute last week, when the
first computer viruses emerged that took advantage of security holes left by the
program.
Responding to public outcry over the software, Sony BMG, the music venture of
Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony Corp. and Germany's Bertelsmann AG, said
on Friday it would temporarily suspend the manufacture of music CDs containing
XCP technology.
It then provided a patch to make the hidden program more visible. At the time it
did not recall the CDs or offer a program to remove it from computers. Sony
BMG's patch and the removal software still left PCs vulnerable, according to
software engineers.
The anti-virus team at Microsoft said on Tuesday it would independently add a
detection and removal mechanism to rid a personal computer of the Sony's DRM
copy-protection software. It should have a deeper understanding of its own
operating system, and how to remove software safely.
The software installs itself only on PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating
system.
Sony BMG has positioned itself as a defender of artists' rights. It had
re-emphasized on Friday that copy-protection software is "an important tool
to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our
artists."
Sony BMG last week was targeted in a class action lawsuit complaining that it
had not disclosed the true nature of its copy-protection software.
source: www.wirednews.com
Damn Sony should get its *ss sued for doing that kind of crap. I know companies
want to prevent piracy but making a self installing program like a virus is just
BS. There's enough stuff out their to screw up your computer and Sony is just
contributing to it.
You can defeat this software by either disabling autorun in windows, holding
down the shift key when you insert the disk, or by simply not using a windows
OS. And I don't think Sony will sue you over doing that because there has
already been plenty of noise about this, so even though they claim defeating
their copy protection is illegal they won't enforce it at this stage for now.
All in all I'd say this has been quite entertaining.
Sony recalls music Cd's with XCP copy-protection
Sony BMG, yielding to consumer concern, said on Wednesday it was recalling music CDs containing copy-protection software that acts like virus software and hides deep inside a computer.
Sony BMG has used the XCP copy-protection software on 49 titles from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan and produced an estimated 4.7 million music CDs. Around 2.1 million units have been sold on to consumers.
The software, developed by a British firm, First4Internet, installs itself on a personal computer used to play the CD in order to guard against copying, but it leaves the back door open for malicious hackers.
"We share the concerns of consumers regarding discs with XCP content-protected software, and, for this reason, we are instituting a consumer exchange program and removing all unsold CDs with this software from retail outlets," Sony BMG said in an statement.
Sony BMG announced in a separate statement it would distribute a program to remove the software from a PC where it jeopardizes security.
"We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our customers. Details of this (recall) program will be announced shortly," Sony BMG said.
Sony promised to issue more details about the swap program. Consumers can identify their copy-protected CDs by a web address on the back of the CD containing the letters XCP.
Of the 49 titles, 24 were new major releases. The remaining albums were reissues and other material from the catalog.
Sony reiterated that the copy-protection software installs itself only on personal computers and not on ordinary CD and DVD players. Market research group NPD Group found in a recent survey that around 36 percent of consumers listen to their CDs on a personal computer.
Problems with the copy-protection software became acute last week, when the first computer viruses emerged that took advantage of security holes left by the program.
Responding to public outcry over the software, Sony BMG, the music venture of Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony Corp. and Germany's Bertelsmann AG, said on Friday it would temporarily suspend the manufacture of music CDs containing XCP technology.
It then provided a patch to make the hidden program more visible. At the time it did not recall the CDs or offer a program to remove it from computers. Sony BMG's patch and the removal software still left PCs vulnerable, according to software engineers.
The anti-virus team at Microsoft said on Tuesday it would independently add a detection and removal mechanism to rid a personal computer of the Sony's DRM copy-protection software. It should have a deeper understanding of its own operating system, and how to remove software safely.
The software installs itself only on PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Sony BMG has positioned itself as a defender of artists' rights. It had re-emphasized on Friday that copy-protection software is "an important tool to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our artists."
Sony BMG last week was targeted in a class action lawsuit complaining that it had not disclosed the true nature of its copy-protection software.
source: www.wirednews.com
Very interesting..
Damn I knew it!
Wow, That is really scarry. Good thing I don't buy very many CD that are sony brand. Thanks for letting those of us in the dark know.
Here is a similar thread...
http://forum.minitokyo.net/thread/39069/sony-bmgs-drm-cd-scam/
it's not dead yet, therefore if there are any sony news update related to the
Sony BMG CDs.
Please update in that thread instead.
i'd heard about that and was really hoping it was an exaggeration.
i should have known better.
the music industry is getting really scary
Well good news sony is offering replacements for the CD's! The least they could do!
Damn Sony should get its *ss sued for doing that kind of crap. I know companies want to prevent piracy but making a self installing program like a virus is just BS. There's enough stuff out their to screw up your computer and Sony is just contributing to it.
You can defeat this software by either disabling autorun in windows, holding down the shift key when you insert the disk, or by simply not using a windows OS. And I don't think Sony will sue you over doing that because there has already been plenty of noise about this, so even though they claim defeating their copy protection is illegal they won't enforce it at this stage for now. All in all I'd say this has been quite entertaining.
as noted, please search before creating threads to avoid duplicates.