They really don’t know when to stop, do they?
And Sony are rapidly sinking in it. Don’t struggle lads, it’ll only make it worse…
…on the Sony rootkit saga. This time from Bruce Schneier over at Wired. He asks us to consider the real story: How come our AV software didn’t pick this up in the first place?
Who are the security companies really working for? It’s unlikely that this Sony rootkit is the only example of a media company using this technology. Which security company has engineers looking for the others who might be doing it? And what will they do if they find one? What will they do the next time some multinational company decides that owning your computers is a good idea?
I’ll stop posting about the Sony thing soon, really I will. But this latest little episode throws the whole thing into yet sharper focus… first4internet (makers of the XCP software used by Sony) have infringed the LGPL by using DVD Jon’s code without correct attribution. So. There’s one kind of copyright for you, and another for us? Is that how it works?
Oh. And then of course there’s this one too….
Oh dear - it goes from bad to worse…
Sony’s controversial anti-piracy CD software has been labelled as spyware by Microsoft.
Oh dear. This is rapidly turning into a PR nightmare. I can’t say I have any sympathy… Quick update on EMI as well… In my first post on the topic I said EMI used the same technology. I stand corrected having spoken to my friend there; they trialed it, but chose another solution.
This is a very technical article that most will unfortunately not read, but… What it describes is how First 4 Internet’s XCP technology (currently in use on at least Sony and EMI CDs to my knowledge, perhaps more) installs software on your machine that you don’t know about, that uses Virus technology to hide itself from you and that you have no way of uninstalling. It is illegal to do this in the UK (not sure about the US). I know why they’re doing it - by not hiding it from users perhaps we will find it and circumvent their DRM - but it is absolutely no excuse. Particularly because it shows up when you run a Root Kit scan and kills your computer if you delete it. In other words if you play a Sony CD and later scan your machine for malicious software and clean up anything you find your computer will stop working - all down to Sony’s desperation to stop you ripping a CD. They’re really in danger of law suits….