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President of RIAA Says Sony-BMG Did Nothing Wrong
Zellis writes "In a press conference held on Nov 18 Cary Sherman, the president of the RIAA, stated in reference to Sony BMG's "rootkit" software that "there is nothing unusual about technology being used to protect intellectual property." According to Sherman, the problem with Sony BMG's XCP DRM software was simply that "the technology they used contained a security vulnerability of which they were unaware". He goes on to praise Sony's "responsible" attitude in handling the problem, saying "how many times that software applications created the same problem? Lots. I wonder whether they've taken as aggressive steps as SonyBMG has when those vulnerabilities were discovered, or did they just post a patch on the Internet?" It seems that the latest spin is to portray the Sony rootkit as no more of an issue than a software coding error that unintentionally creates a security hole. Will they get away with it among the non-technical public?" Arguably, Sherman is right -- but I enjoy much more the fact that this whole r00tkit fiasco has set DRM back by years. Gogogo poor implementations!
The comparison is apt and honest. I can't count how many times regular application software has done this to me. For example, the time I put Outkast's Speakerbox CD into my drive, and I found a buggy version of Firefox had installed and masqueraded as a system DLL. Or the time I was listening to William 0rbit's Strange Cargo, all the while the CD was secretly installing an unpatched IIS server and updating the kernel to keep the install from showing. Boy, that sucks every time. :(
Clearly the analogy as apt, and we need a more progresive, less bigoted view: Just because it's a shrouded rootkit doesn't mean it's a security hazard.
Satan says Hitler did nothing wring!
Yes, HOW MANY times have I put a CD in my WIntel workstation and had software secretly installed on it? Must be at least a hundred...no, a thousand? ...no, a million? ...no
Oh yeah, I forgot.... It HAS NEVER happened before this
That's why we must stop it NOW.
It's true, he never did his own laundry.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
This post 0wn3d by sOny - Greets go out to Mitsubishi, Toyota... thanks to Toshiba for t3h maths. Secret message to Cary of RIAA: LOL can't believe u said it, now I owe you $5
"RIAA, you're doing a heck of a job!"
Birds with similiar plummage are rumored to travel in like groups.
We appreciate you as a customer, and want to do anything to make your shopping experince the very best!
However, because of a recent wave of shoplifting, everyone buying a product will have to shoot themselves in the foot with this here shotgun.
Thank you for your patience!
ps. If you shoplift, we'll prosecute your 14yo daughter, and fine her $250.000. Thank you!
Blog -
Otherwise, you risk getting yourself in these situations. Just ask Microsoft.
I called up the Microsoft support line to ask. They told me they've never had any problems with faulty software or security vulnerabilities and that I should contact my hardware manufacturer.
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
Does the RIAA need to continue the "piracy is wrong" campaign? Yes!
Not that it'll do any good, because they don't get it either.
There's a major anti-piracy poster campaign going on in my town right now. Apparently the reason I shouldn't pirate music and movies is that piracy funds organized crime and terrorism.
Clever guys, those terrorists, if they've figured out how to extract vast sums of money from free software like eMule and BitTorrent...
By attempting to take over computers with their rootkit, the anti-American, Fascist Sony leadership has committed electronic terrorism against the United States! Therefore, all members of their organization (Al-RIAA) should go directly to Guantanamo Bay, do not pass court, do not collect any more royalties!
(Okay, so I'm only half-serious -- but hey! It could happen, given that we've done it to others for less!)
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
No, no, no -- what they were unaware of was that people would be able to detect the rootkit!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Yeah! See how easy it is when you're given the step-by-step procedure? I don't know what's wrong with these people.
The opinion above is fiction. Any similarity to real opinions, including facts and logic, is purely coincidental.
In other news, Satan says murder is fun!
I completely agree.
FEMA was slower when an idiot was in charge, so we should be glad it's slightly less inept now that a bumbling moron is in charge!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
"...don't loose money by doing it."
And hopefully tight money.
Wow. I'm pretty old, but I have no recollection of 12 ft. discs.
The Power to Serve
Wow. I'm pretty old, but I have no recollection of 12 ft. discs.
It was a REAL long time ago. Used flint instead of needles.
The opposite of progress is congress
Relevant quote
> All rootkits I've seen are visible over a share.
Really? You haven't seen the ones that aren't visible?
In Chapter 4 of So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish," Douglas Adams described Ford Prefect's predicament in a bar in the lower side of Han Dold City when the barman wouldn't accept his American Express card:
"He glanced around at the motley collection of thugs, pimps, and record company executives that skulked on the edges of the dim pools of light with which the dark shadows of the bar's inner recesses were pitted. They were all very deliberately looiing in any direction but his, carefully picking up the threads of their former conversations about murders, drug rings, and music publishing deals. They knew what would happen now and didn't want to watch in case it put them off their drinks."
And later...
"He had, after all, been in the bar all day, he had been drinking a lot of stuff with bubbles in it, and he had bought an awful lot of rounds for all the pimps, thugs, and record executives who suddenly couldn't remember who he was."
Okay, the "music publishing deals" part wasn't exactly accurate, but this stuff was published in 1985. One would be tempted to say it was awfully prescient of Adams, but then again, maybe not.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, write technology blogs.