[Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Might be worth a read to see if this effects anyone who uses a PC for playing CD's encoded in Digital Rights Management:

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/200...al-rights.html

Re: Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

More than a bit worrying. Also a classic example of how some sections of the music business go about enforcing copyright protection, completely undermining their moral position on this.

Sony taking DRM too far...
 

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/200...al-rights.html

Interesting, yet pretty disturbing too.

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

See you found the same story too punky, I posted my thread "Sony digital rights management probs" a few days ago here on CF Forum.
Very disturbing isn't it?

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

Oops, my bad :blush:

It is disturbing. Having DRM is a necessisty, like the guy said, but as he showed at the end, the implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

Re: Sony taking DRM too far...
 

No worries my friend:)

Hope it's not going to be a trend amongst the big firms to follow Sony's lead:(

Re: Sony taking DRM too far...
 

Indeed. Although as some people said in the comments, what Sony has done is quite clearly illegal in the UK and California. Hopefully the EFF will get involved and sue Sony. That'll buck their ideas up. Wether the ACLU will get involved though solely depends on how many ethnic minorities buy the CD :rolleyes:

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

?? this morning at 8:58am you mean :disturbd:

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

My turn to say oops, sorry John, just feels like days:)

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

And you know, this copy protection is completely useless. Just play it on a regular CD player, run the output to the PC's line in, and voila, MP3'd :) You can probably do it all on a PC, if you get a sound card eavesdropper. Something like Wiretap on Macs, but the Windows equivilent.

Or did noone at Sony think of that? Although the developers with their lucrative contracts might have overlooked that, understandably.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

http://audacity.sourceforge.net ;)

For Windoze and Mac.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Also - for those of you (like me) that use anyDVD to watch multi region dvd's on their laptop's/pc's - that also has an option to remove audio protection.

p.s. I see the option - but don't have any protected cd's to try it with, but I thought I'd mention it in case you've got anyDVD

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

That does take 82 minutes to rip the CD though and you potentially have to split the MP3 into the individual tracks, and you cannot grab the titles from CDDB etc. So it is a workaround. Being as the CD cannot be written back to it is a bit of a farce as I can copy it 3 times on my laptop, 3 times on my desk top, 3 times on the server and so on.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

If you read the comments on that page, several people recommended disabling autostart on your CD/DVD drive on a PC. If the disk doesn't autostart, the software doesn't run, and you can, apparently, then play the music tracks without problems.


A friend of mine whose opinion I value recommended Audacity to me, so I suspect it must be good. However, I've always used Audiograbber, which can also rip music from a line input. It's been freeware again for nearly two years now.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Looks like Sony are getting wise, after the event:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27416

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

No. It isn't.

All it does is treat ordinary consumers as criminals while doing nothing to stop the actual large-scale pirates.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Bit more on this sad story:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27426

Re: Sony taking SRM too far...
 

So video rental places treat consumers as pirates then?

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

How do you get that from what I said?

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

You said DRM treat everyone as a criminal. Having stipulations on viewing something, like video rentals do, is DRM.

Companies who go to vast expense to produce media should be allowed to protect their interests, but not in the way Sony did.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Sony is backtracking faster than an Italian tank. :D

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Great metaphor Chris ! :rofl: :rofl:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

And in other news... Sony's rootkit is being used by hackers of World of Warcraft to hide their cheats from Blizzard's anti-cheating mechanisms. More info here. Nice one, Sony :rolleyes:
__________________

By the way, you cna rip the CD to MP3 easily under Linux and OSX ;)

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Uh-huh... Sony haven't heard of a Linux LiveCD either ;)

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

That could be the next step, instead of just having software that installs to play the CD they could have a whole live OS that you have to play the CD off of :erm:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

True, but you could still pipe the cd music in to the computer through line in/optical in, so you'll never stop people doing it, no matter how much fancy coding you do.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Seems this Sony sofware also 'phones home' !

> http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/200...ecloaking.html

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

No they know that, doesn't stop them trying, Hollywood/mpaa they are on the case

Known as "plugging the analog hole"

http://bpdg.blogs.eff.org/archives/000113.html

I know thats related to movies but no doubt they would try to include music later

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Unbelieveable.... I can't believe the hole they are digging themselves into. And what a dispicable act that everyone who signs up for the uninstaller gets signed up for more spam from Sony automatically. Thank God for the likes of Mailinator.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

looks like microsofts tools will flush out the rootkits!

http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware...12/414299.aspx

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

and Sony cease production of the discs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4434852.stm

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

And MS treat the DRM software as spyware :)

That's the frustrating thing about Sony - they make fantastic hardware, but then sell it with dismal software with no alternatives .....:(

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Some of the infected titles so far apparently...

Foo Fighters - In Your Honour
Van Zant - Get Right with the Man
Ricky Martin - Life
Sarah McLachlan - Bloom Remix Album
Celine Dion - On Ne Change Pas
Neil Diamond - 12 Songs
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
Santana - All That I Am
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
My Morning Jacket - Z
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

Dunno about you but it would put me off buying any one of them - which is a shame as i was going to buy the David Gray one - ah well - i'll just download it instead.

Incidentally Sony claimed only 20 CD's had the protection and refused to name them. Think of that what you will.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

I thought they only put the DRM on their US-issued CDs?

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Not seen that mentioned - dosent mean its not true though...

Yup - i'll just have to download it instead.... :D

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

From my BBC link

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

According to /. it now looks like sony used unlicenced code for the rootkit..

I hope Sony get Fried like piggy meat!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

The plot thickens .. and the hole gets deeper !! :erm:

Link

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

It all begs the question, how did a major multinational company like Sony come to hire a bunch of cowboy amateurs to do their software for them in the first place? This is just shocking.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

I can't see me buying anything with the Sony brand in the future.

OK if it was a mistake, but it's clear that Sony thought they were in the right up to the bitter end.

It's just this sort of thing that destroys a company, and rightly so. Shame on Sony, Shame Shame Shame.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Well perhaps not significant but Sony' share price has dropped 20cents (0.69%).:rolleyes:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

And today's episode: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4441928.stm

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

PLONKERS!

I'm surprised there has been so little wrath directed towards First4Internet (they're not difficult to find):

http://www.first4internet.co.uk/contact.aspx
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.sr...5352&ay=240315

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

That looks like a right one-man-and-his-dog outfit. I can't believe their corporate strapline is 'advanced software solutions'. :erm:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Look who the chairman of First 4 Internet is, Nick Bingham
Who is Nick Bingham I hear you say?

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

http://www.xcp-aurora.com/press_related.aspx

Funny how it stops in Aug 2005! :erm:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Heh, well spotted!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4441928.stm

Oh, they are recalling the discs now!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Full list of CD's that contain the XCP software can be found here:
http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/titles.html
in case you wanted to know.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Interesting that the list of only about 20 is now nearly 60!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

The irony!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Anyone know if this rubbish gets installed with SonicStage? (the software Sony uses for its Network Walkmans (Walkmen?) :confused::confused:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

:doh:

:rofl: This whole affair just gets funnier and funnier!

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

So that's MS and LAME looking for lawyers ! :bsmack:


Don't forget also the uninstaller leaves PCs open to malware. oops:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Incidentally, considering this rootkit was only found on 20 CD's that were sold in the US (according to Sony... who also claimed it doesn't call home :rolleyes: nor does it damage Windows :rolleyes: ), it's rather surprising to find that it has popped up so prevalently across the entire globe...

According to Dan Kiminsky, quoted in this Wired article, "The damage spans 165 countries, with the top five countries being Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, the United States and Japan, which, with more than 217,000 DNS servers reporting knowledge of Sony-related addresses, takes the top spot."

Wired also have another interesting article that discusses the lack or response from antivirus vendors (except F-Secure) until the public outcry was so large that their hands were forced. It makes some interesting points :)

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Many buyers in the UK source their CDs from the US, or buy [IMPORT] CDs. These are (were) available on Amazon.co.uk as Imports.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Who are apparently offering refunds if you bought one.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Trouble is that the damage has been done... these users - which equals in excess of ½ million users - are the ones known to have listened to their CDs on their PCs and have unknowingly installed a rootkit as a result. Sony will reimburse these users for the financial cost of the CD, fine... I have no problem with that, but Sony need to also address the problem of the software that they've installed on these customers' PCs too.

Currently, the removal tool that Sony have made available leaves portions of the rootkit on the machines which can be exploited by virus writers. If you use one of the other available removal tools, you risk being left with a borked Windows install (and I bet Sony don't intend reimbursing users for getting their PCs fixed). Sony really need to address these issues immediately.

Personally, I'd like to see Sony be prosecuted under DMCA rules within the US, and the Computer Misuse Act within the UK. Individuals have been charged under these laws for doing less than Sony. It's not going to happen though :(

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

I found a useful snippet while trawling through the furore this affair has raised:

Paste the following string into Notepad and save as $sys$eicar.txt

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H

Your AV should detect this and warn you immediately; certainly McAfee VirusScan Online does - it correctly identifies this as the EICAR virus, a test virus. Interestingly, it says the file can't be cleaned. :) I tried fooling it by giving the file a different name, but VSO still detected it. At least I know my PC hasn't got that damn rootkit.

If your AV doesn't detect it, you may have a problem - have a look at Mark Russinovich's blog to find out what to do.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Which is why I'm thinking that maybe this malware found its way into their Network Walkman software too :mad::Yikes:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Is the latest from here: http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/uninstall.html

:erm:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Class Action time $100,000 a PC!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4459620.stm

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

If these class actions are allowed to continue (and I'm sure Sony's *co-operation with the Attorney General* will include many legal levers to stop the actions) the probable outcome will be out of court settlements or Sony fighting for years until the groups pressing for action run out of money.

Whichever, I'm damn sure non of the regular punters with screwed machines will see a penny !! :rolleyes:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Either Sony needs to release software fast that totally removes the rootkit and restitutes the PC to the state it was in prior to playing the CD or the class action should succeed with Sony paying each infected computer user $150 to get a sutable computer service to get the root kit removed.

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

Where can I get one of these disks???:scratch::scratch:

Re: [Merged] Sony Digital Rights Management probs
 

The Sony rootkit saga continues. This has turned into such a fiasco that you can't visit any news web site without reading a new article about it. I'll try to stick to the high points here.

First, in case you haven't heard about any of this already, Sony-BMG sold millions of CDs that install a sloppily-written rootkit to hide a copy-protection program. Not only did they fail to disclose this, the rootkit can be exploited to hide trojans, viruses and other malware. Try to remove it and you could disable your CD-ROM drive.

When it became clear that the public was growing more and more outraged, Sony offered a removal tool. Unfortunately, their removal tool was written as poorly as their rootkit. It is an ActiveX program which installs into Internet Explorer. Anyone with that ActiveX program installed is at risk of any web page using it to install their own software. The uninstaller tool is more dangerous than the rootkit that it was designed to remove.

Sony-BMG is facing at least three class-action lawsuits, with more possibly on the way. They are being sued by the State of Texas for violating their new antispyware law. An Italian electronic rights group has filed a complaint with the Italian police and are asking for a criminal investigation. The artists whose music Sony-BMG distributes are outraged; and a few music labels are considering taking legal action.

To top it all off, the US Department of Homeland Security is angry at Sony because they discovered that the rootkit was installed on several computers at that agency. Someone at Sony-BMG potentially could go to federal prison over that last one.

Another interesting discovery was made recently. Some of the software code in the copy protection program was used in violation of the copyright license. They used code from an open source MP3 encoder but failed distribute the source code of their modifications or even to disclose that they had used it. So, it is okay to break someone's copyright, as long as you are doing so to protect your own?

You really have to wonder what is going on at Sony. It is a simple matter to install any one of dozens of programs and download any piece of music you want for free. You can have it in MP3, OGG or any other format you want. You can play it on any music-playing device or program you choose.

Rather than showing respect for the people who choose to pay for their music and buy the CD, Sony violates numerous laws and even violates someone else's copyright to install a hidden trojan. All of this effort just to restrict how you can use the music you have purchased. You can't even transfer the songs to an iPod without a complicated workaround.

They wonder why people download the music for free? I'll tell them why. It's because the music you can download for free is more valuable than what they sell. When the product is inferior and costs more, people will ignore it and use the superior version. It is a very simple concept. Do these people not go to business school?

Companies like Sony are doing far more to encourage the unauthorized distribution of music over P2P than any of the companies who make the P2P programs.

The very worst part of this situation is how Sony-BMG responded to the public outrage over their use of a criminal's tool: "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" - Thomas Hesse, President of Sony BMG's global digital business division.

This is Sony's attitude towards their customers. They have demonstrated nothing but malevolent contempt for the people who purchase their products. I don't know about you but I will not do business with people who act this way. Because of this, I will never buy a music CD, DVD or any other product made by Sony.

thanks to spyware info. and pcqanda