Sony faces class action lawsuits for DRM
{{date|November 11, 2005}}
[[Image:sony bmg2.jpg|right|Sony BMG Logo]]

[[California]], [[Italy]] and [[New York]] are the first to bring litigation against [[w:Sony BMG|Sony BMG]]'s [[w:digital rights management|digital rights management]] (DRM) software found in at least 20 music discs released by Sony.  The software automatically installs after the user agrees to a [[w:end user license agreement|end user license agreement]] (EULA) before the music disc can be played, and includes a [[w:rootkit|rootkit]] that can create vulnerabilities in the user's [[w:Microsoft Windows|Windows]] computer.  One [[w:Trojan horse (computing)|trojan horse]] exploiting the hole has already been discovered online.

The California lawsuit, filed on November 1, claims that the software violates the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, and the California Unfair Competition Law. The upcoming lawsuit in New York would seek restitution for consumers nationwide.  

Mathew Gilliat-Smith, the CEO of [[w:First 4 Internet|First 4 Internet]], the company that created the software, claims it is "benign content."  Meanwhile, in an ''[[NPR]]'' interview, a Sony BMG Music Entertainment Vice President said, "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"

Sony and First 4 Internet have released "patches" and uninstall kits, after programmer {{w|Mark Russinovich|Mark Russinovich}} discovered the hidden files from the rootkit.  However, these uninstall kits are only installable online through an [[w:Component Object Model|ActiveX application]], a technology many security experts advise users to deactivate due to its high execution privileges on host computers.

In addition to questions of legality, the DRM software has come under fire from media rights activists and even artists who unwittingly found their albums more stringently protected than they approved of.  Furthermore, Sony's DRM software "phones home" each time one of their CDs is played.  The license agreement does not reveal this behavior, nor does it acknowledge the existence of the rootkit itself.

Thomas Hesse of Sony BMG recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that 60 percent of Sony BMG CDs released in the United States currently have copy protection measures, and that they aim to hit 100 percent by early 2006.

==External link==
*{{source|url=http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/
|title=Information about content protected discs
|author=
|pub=Sony BMG Music Entertainment
|date=}}

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/11/calif_ny_lawsui.html
|title=Calif. Lawsuit Targets Sony
|author=Brian Krebs
|pub=WashintonPost.com
|date=November 08, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4427606.stm
|title=Viruses use Sony anti-piracy CDs
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=November 11, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6376177.html?tag=nl.e501
|title=DRM this, Sony!
|author=Molly Wood
|pub=CNet.com
|date=November 03, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php
|title=Now the Legalese Rootkit: Sony-BMG's EULA
|author= Fred von Lohmann
|pub=EEF: Deep Links
|date=November 09, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.sysinternals.com/Blog/
|title= Sony: You don't reeeeaaaally want to uninstall, do you?
|author= Mark Russinovich
|pub=Sysinternals
|date=November 09, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4989260
|title= Sony Music CDs Under Fire from Privacy Advocate
|author= Neda Ulaby
|pub=NPR
|date=November 04, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004144.php
|title= Are You Infected by Sony-BMG's Rootkit?
|author= Fred von Lohmann
|pub=EEF: Deep Links
|date=November 09, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/sony_drm_trojan/
|title= First Trojan using Sony DRM spotted
|author= John Leyden
|pub= The Registrar
|date=November 10, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/technology/circuits/09POGUE-EMAIL.html
|title= Sony BMG's Copy-Protecting Watchdog
|author= David Pogue
|pub= The New York Times
|date=November 9, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/11/MNGFMFMNV61.DTL
|title= Sony gets an earful over CD software Program to block music piracy prompts privacy, security worries
|author= Carrie Kirby
|pub= San Francisco Chronicle
|date=November 11, 2005}}

{{Published}}
{{archive}}
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Computing]]
[[Category:Culture and entertainment]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Sony]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:California]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Italy]]
Sony BMG Logo

California, Italy and New York are the first to bring litigation against Sony BMG's digital rights management (DRM) software found in at least 20 music discs released by Sony.  The software automatically installs after the user agrees to a end user license agreement (EULA) before the music disc can be played, and includes a rootkit that can create vulnerabilities in the user's Windows computer.  One trojan horse exploiting the hole has already been discovered online.

The California lawsuit, filed on November 1, claims that the software violates the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, and the California Unfair Competition Law. The upcoming lawsuit in New York would seek restitution for consumers nationwide.  

Mathew Gilliat-Smith, the CEO of First 4 Internet, the company that created the software, claims it is "benign content."  Meanwhile, in an NPR interview, a Sony BMG Music Entertainment Vice President said, "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"

Sony and First 4 Internet have released "patches" and uninstall kits, after programmer Mark Russinovich discovered the hidden files from the rootkit.  However, these uninstall kits are only installable online through an ActiveX application, a technology many security experts advise users to deactivate due to its high execution privileges on host computers.

In addition to questions of legality, the DRM software has come under fire from media rights activists and even artists who unwittingly found their albums more stringently protected than they approved of.  Furthermore, Sony's DRM software "phones home" each time one of their CDs is played.  The license agreement does not reveal this behavior, nor does it acknowledge the existence of the rootkit itself.

Thomas Hesse of Sony BMG recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that 60 percent of Sony BMG CDs released in the United States currently have copy protection measures, and that they aim to hit 100 percent by early 2006.

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Internet Computing Culture and entertainment Science and technology Crime and law Music Sony United States California New York Italy