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DVD Jon's Code In Sony Rootkit?
An anonymous reader writes "With some help from Sabre Security, Sebastian Porst and Matti Nikki have identified some stolen GPL'd code in Sony's rootkit. Ironically the code in question seems to be VLC's demux/mp4/drms.c -- the de-DRMS code which circumvents Apple's DRM, written by 'DVD' Jon Lech Johansen and Sam Hocevar."
This is GPL'd code, not LGPL'd, right?
Anyway, DVD John can actually sue Sony for all *revenue* that Sony made from the sale of the CDs, if I'm not mistaken (not just profits). That would grab them where it hurts!
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
I said right off the bat, that the Sony DRM package would be full of other's code. Seems to me that Sony hired some blackhats to get the job done for them. Violating the GPL is definitely the least of their worries, but just another strike against what is becoming an increasingly corrupt music giant.
Read the only personal Runyon page out there.
3.(1) A person is guilty of an offence if
(a) he does any act which causes an unauthorised modification of the contents of any computer; and
(b) at the time when he does the act he has the requisite intent and the requisite knowledge.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) above the requisite intent is an intent to cause a modification of the contents of any computer and by so doing
(a) to impair the operation of any computer;
(b) to prevent or hinder access to any program or data held in any computer; or
(c) to impair the operation of any such program or the reliability of any such data.
I think First4Internet's little toy is designed to prevent or hinder access to programs and data held in a computer, don't you? And I really doubt that their click-through EULA constitutes authorisation to do so; it was fraudulently claimed that the Software was necessary to play the music, which was a plain lie as is shown by every Linux and Apple machine that plays it just fine without the rootkit installed.
I might add that even though these discs are not available in the UK, the Computer Misuse Act still holds.
Anyone know if we could possibly get Inspector Knacker to take a look at these felonious fellows?
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Except after the initial exposure of this rootkit in their products, Sony bigwigs were on NPR radio broadcast saying essentially (paraphrased) "What they don't know won't hurt them". I'd certainly content that constitutes delayed action, and possibly collusion. Plus the factoids coming out that this rootkit may have possibly been distributed by Sony for over a year now.
Regardless of who wrote it, Sony is still the one who deliberately distributed millions of CDs containing this malware. They should have done due diligence on their own product before shipping. They've supposedly stopped making CDs with XPC, but they haven't done any of the things a reputable company should be doing: Offering complete replacement discs (without foistware), coupons/credit for further Sony products ("Don't boycott our brand, please"), and promise not to abuse their actual customers again. Instead, they've done practically nothing (except some basic CYA by halting further production) and practically promised that they'll be trying this again in some form in the future. Hardly sounds like an 'innocent' party.
Sony certainly deserves to get their collective ass handed to them. Its just a shame it will have to happen through lawsuits and consumer boycotts, as you'd think they would learn not to abuse their own paying customers. I guess not.
P.S. Screw you Sony, your products, warranties, and service have been crap for years, but now I will actively avoid anything to do with you.
{ - Generic Guy - }