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Music Industry Backlash Against Sony Rootkit

Foobar of Borg writes "The Associated Press describes how backlash from Sony's Rootkit CDs is causing problems for the music industry. The problem is two-fold: (1) the inherent technological problem of trying to prevent anyone from copying anything and (2) letting lawyers make technical decisions when (from the article) 'Lawyers don't have any better understanding of technology than a cow does algebra.'" More from the article: "'I think they've set back audio CD protection by years,' said Richard M. Smith, an Internet privacy and security consultant. 'Nobody will want to pull a Sony now.' Phil Leigh, analyst for Inside Digital Media, said the debacle shows just how reluctant the labels are to change their business model to reflect the distribution powers -- good and bad -- of the Internet. He believes that rather than adopting technological methods to try to stop unauthorized copying of music, record companies need to do more to remove the incentive for piracy."

21 of 400 comments (clear)

  1. Wait a minute by Krast0r · · Score: 4, Funny

    So the Sony rootkit is BAD?! This needs more coverage.

    --
    Matthew Grint Midnight Artists
    1. Re:Wait a minute by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

      scan for $joke$

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
    2. Re:Wait a minute by FooAtWFU · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dude, are you paying ANY attention to this fiasco whatsoever? You'd scan for $sys$joke.

      --
      The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  2. Remove incentive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "need to do more to remove the incentive for piracy".

    Like say, making shit music that no-one would want to pirate? Ugh, too late :|

  3. If the RIAA ran other industries.... by Newer+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'd be paying $1500.00 for a coast to coast airline ticket.

    There'd be no interstate trucking industry. All freight would go by rail and canal.

    All television would be black and white. There'd be no VCR's (let alone PVR's!).

    All radio would be AM.

    Telephones would all be dial. Long distance calls would be $2.50/minute.

    We'd all still be using slide rules.

    There would be no foreign cars in the U.S.

    There would be no sources of alternative energy (wiond, solar, etc.) whatsoever.

    And on and on. The RIAA wants to maintain the status quo at any cost. They have had ten years to adapt and have resisted at every turn. They all likely believe in Landrew (save us, save us, Landrew!).

    They are pathetic.
    1. Re:If the RIAA ran other industries.... by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny
      We'd all still be using slide rules
      Forget your slide rule.
      /.'ers are hardcore
      Real men use the abacus to do math.

      Slide-Rule using pansy.
      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    2. Re:If the RIAA ran other industries.... by xeon4life · · Score: 3, Funny

      They'd also be blocking all VOIP calls, peer-to-peer call sessions, Skype, and...oh...wait... :-/

      --
      Real programmers can write assembly code in any language. -- Larry Wall
  4. This rootkit will be remembered... by Hymer · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...as the first and probably only rootkit wich has done something good.

  5. Re:hmm anti-lawyer FUD by Crash+Culligan · · Score: 5, Funny
    'Lawyers don't have any better understanding of technology than a cow does algebra.'
    Is that right? [Please see parent comment for link]

    That's why I like to avoid absolute statements and generalizations: all it takes is one case to refute, even though the statement may be accurate for the majority and there may only be one or two cases that can refute it. It's like what they say about congressmen: the dishonest 534 make the rest look bad.

    Still, wouldn't it be cool to discover that one supersmart cow? And kill it? And eat it and learn algebra? Mmmmmmm!

    --
    You cannot truly appreciate Dilbert until you read it in the original Klingon.
  6. US Patent no. 62265781337 by Mishtara2001 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A cow doing algebra

    Dir sirs,
    The suggested apparatus is a sentient, grass-eating organism ("Cow"), that has or will be taught complex mathematical operations ("Algebra"), with or without the aid of various computational devices.

    I intend to patent this "invention" and then go on and "licence" it to all cattle grows in the planet, which will have to pay or face my formidable legal team. In fact, I have already hired an "Intellectual property" law firm, who has assured me that I am loosing $5.6B every day - literally being stolen out of my pocket, and the plates of my children, by greedy farmers who will not respect the foundations of our economy.

    Moreover, said lawyers have promised me that the USPTO and the courts will share their (my) view that every cow grazing grass is in fact performing complex calculations, probably for some foreign power like Iraq, or worse, Europe.

    All the best,
    Edgar Bronfman.

    --
    "667 - Neighbour of the beast"
    1. Re:US Patent no. 62265781337 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Very clever, but I think you'll find that I own the patents to the following:

        - The cow;
        - Algebra;
        - Mathematics;
        - 1;
        - 0;
        - Grass;
        - Inventions;
        - Iraq;
        - Children;
        - Greedy farmers.

      My lawyer will be contacting you presently.

  7. Uniquely Slashdot Humor by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 2, Funny

    He's just joking.

  8. Cows with Guns by triffidsting · · Score: 2, Funny

    This will set the the cause of bovine freedom back several decades. I urge everyone to withold support of initiatives expanding the role of copyright in this manner.

    --
    Non, je ne veux pas coucher avec toi ce soir.
  9. Re:hmm anti-lawyer FUD by TubeSteak · · Score: 2, Funny

    A cattle farmer friend of mine has a cow that smart.
    It could do math by tapping out the answer with its hoof.

    Unfortunately, it doesn't do math anymore.
    Its only got three legs you see.

    Cause, you know , you don't eat a cow like that all at once.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  10. I think its Landru by TubeSteak · · Score: 2, Funny
    The Story of Landru:

    "The crew of the Enterprise land on a new planet. Their first reactions are of wariness. As Mr Spock says: 'Odd. The expression on that man's face. Mindlessness. Vacant contentment'. Everyone in the society is happy: they all smile, and their standard greeting is 'joy to you'. This disturbs the heroes: in a society where everyone is this happy, something must be wrong. They intervene.

    "They discover that the planet is ruled by a supposedly benign deity named 'Landrew', whose representatives - the faceless, dark-robed 'lawmen' - ensure that everyone behaves happily, repeating such catchphrases as 'Happy communing'. 'Joy be with you, peace and contentment'. 'Peace and tranquility', 'Peace and harmony'. In the course of the story, McCoy is brainwashed. He begins to speak in the same terms: 'Happiness to all of us. Blessed be Landrew'. The society is peaceful, everyone is happy - or, at least, everyone thinks that they are happy. What is wrong with this?

    "Firstly, according to the logic of the program, it is false consciousness. People only think that they are happy because they have been brainwashed by a computer which is running their society... Mr Spock reminds Captain Kirk: 'Captain - our prime directive is non-interference' The Captain responds - 'That refers to living, growing cultures. Do you think this one is?'.

    "...as Mr Spock puts it: 'This is a soulless society. They have no spirit, no spark. All is indeed peace and tranquility - the tranquility of the machine'. As Kirk puts the argument to the computer who runs the system: 'The [society] is dying. You are destroying it. What have you done to do justice to the full potential of every individual in the body? ... without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.'

    "...Return of the Archons ends with the crew back on board the Enterprise. Kirk asks the resident sociologist how things are going now they have destroyed the perfect society. The sociologist responds excitedly - 'Already today we've had three marital disputes and a stand up fight'. Kirk is delighted - the society is once again as it should be."

    Stolen from here: http://www.staff.vu.edu.au/CSAA/newsletter01-1.htm l
    Better write up here: http://www.wizardrealm.com/Galadriel/landru.htm

    "You can stop wearing those robes now.
      And if I were you, I'd start looking
      for another job."
    -- [ Kirk to monk-robed figures after he blows
    up Landru's computerized successor.]


    Kirm was such a man's man.
    He goes to alien planets,
    sleeps with their women,
    changes their society,
    then makes smart-ass comments as he's leaving.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  11. You think you have problems! by pegr · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Sony, in fact, tried discs that contained data near the perimeter of the CD instructing a computer's hard drive not to look for audio tracks."

    Man, that's nothing... I remember when that Kid Rock CD instructed my hard drive to score some weed and a couple of hookers! Try explaining that to your wife!

  12. Re:What would be good... by AussieVamp2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course, lots of people call listening to music and not doing anything else, unless at a gig of course, either one, two, or both of these :-

    1. boring
    2. a waste of time

  13. Re:hmm anti-lawyer FUD by rbochan · · Score: 3, Funny

    The problem with lawyers is that 99% of them give the rest a bad name.

    --
    ...Rob
    The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
  14. Re:What would be good... by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 3, Funny
    Let me guess.....you have a set of Monster cables too dontcha....

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  15. Re:hmm anti-lawyer FUD by xski · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not uncommon for managers to end run legal or simply ignore legal advice when it's not what they want to hear.

    Look!! Common Ground! Maybe lawyers & engineers can work together afterall?

  16. Re:I do not think it means what you think it means by corpsiclex · · Score: 2, Funny
    Sarcasm is just being snarky.

    No it isn't.
    --

    eBayDig 1s a typo saerch engien