toms Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Sony BMG is facing three lawsuits over its controversial anti-piracy software. Revealed in late October by Windows expert Mark Russinovich, the software copy protection system hides using virus-like techniques. One class-action lawsuit has already been filed in California and another is expected in New York. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4424254.stm I was thinking of getting the Dead 60s one, but i think i'll skip it now. (ps, its not just celine dion. List of some affected CDs in link, or check eff.org for more details and how to disable autoplay and bypass this protection) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
•-BLaCKouT-• Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 While I agree in principle that Sony are in the wrong, I'm still intrigued: who the hell would want to copy Celine Dion's releases anyway? Surely if you're dumb enough to want them, you're dumb enough to pay for them? [/unabashed opinion] The only reason I can see is that people would be too embarrassed... B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swphreak Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Now if only someone would sue the Starforce makers and other similar "anti-piracy programs" used in PC Games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Now if only someone would sue the Starforce makers and other similar "anti-piracy programs" used in PC Games. But that's different. Those who listen to music are people. Gamers only kill people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeskywalker1 Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Dang gamers deserve everything they get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Those gamers shot my cans, my precious antique cans. They don't deserve anything but a kick in the nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa_0 Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 The thing is its just not the Celine Dion CD's its all CD's made my sony within this year. They put software on your system that you can not uninstall and everytime you have a CD that your listening to, it sends the info to Sony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 I have a feeling this might be on the Episode III soundtrack as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 11, 2005 Author Share Posted November 11, 2005 There is also the fact that games owners are used to having to deal with EULAs, for CDs you don't expect it. And that it makes your system vunerable to crashes (and you'd never figure out it was the cause as its invisible). And there is at least one virus out already that exploits it. It hides any files starting with $sys$ from the operating system. Making it easy to hide viruses. And if your trojan scanner picks it up and you press "delete it" it breaks your cd drives. And as it replaces your cd drivers with its own hacked versions, if there is an upgrade to your drivers, or if another company decides to release ITS OWN drm'ed drivers they may not work together. Apparently it crashed Windows Vista Beta. and and and... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Well what doesn't crash Windows Vista? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa_0 Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Ive also heard that World of Warcraft players who are hacking the game are using that exploit to hide their hacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 Ive also heard that World of Warcraft players who are hacking the game are using that exploit to hide their hacks.Yes, I've been reading about this with some interest. Apparently, Blizzard's anti cheating software can detect it, but since it has a 'legitimate' use, cannot disable WoW if it finds Sony's rootkit running on the computer. I think it's quite funny. I hope they sue each other into oblivion, but that's not going to happen. They'll likely reach some sort of agreement which includes working together on their respective spyware and invasive software that attacks only the ordinary user (this happens to be completely useless on mac/linux/etc. It would not affect anyone who wanted to pirate the music for more than the time to took to pop in Knoppix, which is approximately 30 seconds). Also note that this is not an exploit. This is an intended function created by Sony. They knew what they were getting, and still went ahead with it. People who are able to make things like the rootkit are not idiots. They'd know that it would hide anyone's file provided they prefixed with $sys$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiE23 Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 I hope they sue each other into oblivion, but that's not going to happen. Not smart. Last thing we need is another lawsuit war, just to further the sterotype that anyone can solve a problem by frivolously suing the crap out of eachother. And who really cares? There are already 4,000,000 players of WoW. How is a couple thousand hackers going to ruin their business. *Waits for people to tell me that I'm wrong and that piracy really hurts people, just like how banks that don't have wheel chair accessible VAULTS should get in throuble (true story)* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 I wouldn't personally say that such a lawsuit would be frivolous. Sony did indeed compromise the computers of however many people used their CD, making it easier to hide malicious software. Sony did create a serious issue with WoW, because people play the game expecting it to be somewhat fair. Ever try NWN's multiplay with non-server only chars? If you had a legit char, you'd be utterly unable to keep up or even survive due to people making items/editing their chars. Cheating is a serious problem, whether you like it or not. Blizzard sees it the same way. Allowing anyone to cheat in WoW who wants to could quite possibly make many people leave. I know I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 Sony knows they screwed up finally and is now admitting their DRM allows hackers to penetrate your system and royally screw you over. So now Sony has killed it's DRM program in the meantime and is pulling most DRM-protected CDs off the shelves. However, Sony is going to be a gentleman this time around and is offering to replace CDs affected by the XCP copy-protection software that's embedded in the CDs if you bought some. But how can you tell if you bought one of 2.1 million CDs sold with the evil-DRM? Easy. A list was put together of 47 CDs that include the protection. So play it safe kids, and go stick it to Sony by demanding new CDs. (from gizmodo.com) cds affected usatoday link Foo Fighters - In Your Honour Van Zant - Get Right with the Man Ricky Martin - Life Celine Dion - On Ne Change Pas Neil Diamond - 12 Songs Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak Chris Botti - To Love Again Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound Patty Loveless - Dreamin’ My Dreams Montgomery Gentry - Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005 Mary Mary - Mary Mary David Gray - Life In Slow Motion Bob Brookmeyer - Bob Brookmeyer & Friends Shelly Fairchild - Ride Kasabian - Kasbian Pete Seeger - The Essential Pete Seeger The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity Elkland - Golden Susie Suh - Susie Suh Buddy Jewel - Times Like These Chayanne - Cautivo A Static Lullaby - Faso Latido Our Lady Peace - Healthy In Paranoid Times The Coral - The Invisible Invasion Dexter Gordon - Manhattan Symphonie Acceptance - Phantoms Dion - The Essential Dion The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s Goapele - Change It All Los Lonely Boys - TBD Life of Agony - Broken Valley George Jones - My Very Special Guests Horace Silver - Silver’s Blue Amici Forever - Defined Ahmed Jamal - The Legendary Okeh and Epic Recordings Anna Nalick - Wreck of the Day Hitch - Soundtrack Charlotte Martin - On Your Shore Vivian Green - Vivian Raheem DeVaughn - The Love Experience Amerie - Touch Nivea - Complicated Mario - Turning Point G3 - Live In Tokyo I've got at least 3 of those, but i think the UK versions didn't contain this DRM. (Though with the internet you never actually know what version of the CD you are going to get). I'm not sure they are correct about all those having XCP to be honest, i think a few of them have the Sunncomm DRM instead... but what do i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manoman81 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Well, I'm glad I don't buy cds anymore. I just try to find my music online and buy it that way. Howver, I think it's pretty messed up that Sony thought it could do this without some sort of notice. I mean, if people take the time hack through a game's memory files to exploit a mini game that was cut from the full version, then I think someone would do the same to see what is going on their own hard drives when inserting a cd that has a "This CD contains copyright protection software" label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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