Does this cheese anyone but me off? 
<br /> http://www.sysinternals.com/Blog/ <br /><br />The article above is somewhat computer technical and may not make much sense if you don't work with this stuff so I'll summarize-<br /><br />Summary: Many Sony/BMG music CD's, when inserted into a PC, will install software known as a "rootkit" to enforce their "digital rights management". This is a poorly written piece of software that installs without you authorizing, or even knowing about it. It hides itself and most virus scanner's can't even spot it. Not only does it "enforce" their copyright, it can "phone home" report to Sony when a CD is played and what pc is playing it.<br /><br />Virus writers are already taking advantage of it, using the Sony rootkit to hide their own malicious software.<br /><br />This is just wrong and outrageous on so many levels. One Sony exec commented to the effect of "most people don't know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" Why, because your software makes it very easy for a virus writer to hide their virus from detection while it works. Not to mention that it's none of Sony's business how/when I listen to a cd that I own and that Sony has no right to install trash on my pc.<br /><br />As a network admin, I understand their need to protect their product, but this isn't the way to do it. <br /><br />A lawsuit has apparently been filed in California.<br /><br />Amazon lists at least some of these cd's and CopyProtected. The cd's that have this usually make you install Sony's music player before it lets you play the CD.<br /><br /><br />Computer users beware....
<br /> http://www.sysinternals.com/Blog/ <br /><br />The article above is somewhat computer technical and may not make much sense if you don't work with this stuff so I'll summarize-<br /><br />Summary: Many Sony/BMG music CD's, when inserted into a PC, will install software known as a "rootkit" to enforce their "digital rights management". This is a poorly written piece of software that installs without you authorizing, or even knowing about it. It hides itself and most virus scanner's can't even spot it. Not only does it "enforce" their copyright, it can "phone home" report to Sony when a CD is played and what pc is playing it.<br /><br />Virus writers are already taking advantage of it, using the Sony rootkit to hide their own malicious software.<br /><br />This is just wrong and outrageous on so many levels. One Sony exec commented to the effect of "most people don't know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" Why, because your software makes it very easy for a virus writer to hide their virus from detection while it works. Not to mention that it's none of Sony's business how/when I listen to a cd that I own and that Sony has no right to install trash on my pc.<br /><br />As a network admin, I understand their need to protect their product, but this isn't the way to do it. <br /><br />A lawsuit has apparently been filed in California.<br /><br />Amazon lists at least some of these cd's and CopyProtected. The cd's that have this usually make you install Sony's music player before it lets you play the CD.<br /><br /><br />Computer users beware....
