Comments on: You think Sony’s DRM is bad?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:08:49 +0000

The answer is simple : This element makes the product non competitive on the market : Simply let the laws of the market apply to this by not buying this item. Boycott is still legal. Use it !

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:03:21 +0000

I know a 100% legal trick not to get locked by this EULA :
Never buy a SONY BMG record !

You think their EULA sucks ?
Make them know by hitting them where it hurts : Don’t buy their products (that’s - atleast for now - still legal).

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 14:52:45 +0000

Just crazy, but…..

New Sony Digital Camera Installs Rootkit to Stop Photo Sharing

Many consumers are complaining about Sony’s new Cybershot DSCP515 camera that installs digital rights management (DRM) software on the person’s computer so they are unable to share their digital pictures with anyone.
The DRM is similar to the one which Sony recently came under fire for on its music CDs. That software installed rootkits on consumer’s computers making them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“Picture sharing flies under the radar when it comes to piracy,” said Wilkerson. “People know about the dangers of music and movie piracy, but not about the dangers of sharing personal photos. What happens if a person takes a picture of Mariah Carey’s latest CD? Think of the children.”

The system which also makes it difficult to print out pictures has prompted complaints from consumers. “I tried to send a picture of my daughter to her Uncle Tim, but this window popped up saying it was blocked. I decided to print it out and mail it to him. There was a 14-page license agreement that printed out first that I had to fill out and fax to Sony so they could send me an authorization code to print out the picture.”

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 06:45:45 +0000

If you never see it, you never agree to it so have fun with the CD.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 05:49:58 +0000

First4Internet’s other clients — which include Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI — are using XCP for prerelease material.

http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,67696,00.html

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 05:04:16 +0000

As of today, I have imposed a ban on Sony. I will NEVER buy anything that is SONY. Yes, not just CDs but everything that Sony makes. Why should I buy anything from anyone if I do not get to own it and do whatever I like with it? It is time that Sony be punished for trying to be too smart and over-protective of its music, etc. Sony and such companies must realize that they cannot hold consumers like me captive. Sadly, they have forgotten or blatantly ignored the very sacred principle of good business and management that the late management guru Peter F. Drucker enthusiastically proclaimed: The CUSTOMER COMES FIRST and not the other way round.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 04:19:20 +0000

— there are 3 more—

Not for long, maybe ; )

“Rumours that the Organized Music family, EMI Group, Vivendi Universal, Warner Music and last, but by no means least, Sony BMG, are about to excrete Sony BMG from the ranks, could well be true.” http://p2pnet.net/story/6960

If only. heh

Cheers!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 04:08:03 +0000

Sony is just one of them. there are 3 more

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 03:17:55 +0000

More spyware
http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=925

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 03:09:16 +0000

WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL BUYING THEIR PRODUCT

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO STOP BUYING SONY PRODUCTS.. STOP SUPPORTING TERRORISM.

YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE BUT IF EVERYONE WHO VISITS THIS SITE TELLS ONE PERSON, THATS HUGE LOSSES FOR SONY. WE CAN WIN THIS

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 03:08:24 +0000

This just gets better and better. Now, the activex you have to install to APPLY for the uninstall (not the uninstaller itself) is believed to be full of security holes:

http://hack.fi/~muzzy/sony-drm/

In fact if you have been to the sony website and installed the activex component, the following link will reboot your computer:

http://hack.fi/~muzzy/sony-drm/reboot.html

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 02:36:08 +0000

Well at least with Kazaa there;s just a risk of spyware

with sony stuff we KNOW there’s gnna be spyware

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 02:33:40 +0000

so you’re saying we have to use our tax dollars to pay for people who don’t want to pay for music themselves? So our tax dollars pay for those who don’t want to pay for the music themselves?

[sarcasm]
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice solution dude
[/sarcasm]

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 02:20:41 +0000

Seems to me that it’s simply illegal to buy sony CD’s. Okay, I’ll go for that, and I’ll never buy any other piece of sony crap.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 02:16:19 +0000

But if you have NEVER seen the EULA, how are you supposed to know what is proscribed ? Man, this stuff is getting really whacked…

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 01:41:16 +0000

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/sony-eula.htm

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 01:04:59 +0000

Just another reason to avoid actually BUYING CD’s, at least CD’s from the BigMusic cartels.

A audiophile friend of mine, who is fairly computer illiterate, said he was having trouble playing some new CD’s on his expensive equipment - but they all played just fine on his cheap players (kids walkman, car, kitchen clock radio, etc.) It’s just the copy protection. Most of his new CD’s WON’T play on his top of the line machine. What a fine thing to do to your customers. Anyway, I just went to Kazaa and downloaded copies of all the music on his new CD’s and burnt him some nice “clean” versions. They all play fine now.

Of course those of us who quit buying CD’s long ago never noticed this Sony rootkit problem…

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 01:03:53 +0000

I’ll follow this up tomorrow.

Cheers! And thanks for the url …

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:56:44 +0000

The spyware that Sony installs on the computers of music fans does not even seem to be correct in terms of copyright law.

It turns out that the rootkit contains pieces of code that are identical to LAME, an open source mp3-encoder, and thereby breach the license.

http://dewinter.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=215.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:55:03 +0000

The question should not be whether Sony’s DRM is bad or not. The question is whether we the consumers are mad enough to do something about it. If not, Sony has no need to change their ways. As for me, I had a Sony widescreen television put on layaway for Christmas. I just went back and changed my order to a Samsung television instead. If you’re mad, do something about it.