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Texas Sues Sony BMG over Rootkit
Mr. Sketch writes "According to Yahoo!, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott 'filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against Sony BMG Music Entertainment for including "spyware" software on its media player designed to thwart music copying. [...] Texas is seeking civil penalties of $100,000 per violation of the state's Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, which was enacted earlier this year. "Sony has engaged in a technological version of cloak and dagger deceit against consumers by hiding secret files on their computers," Abbott said in a statement.'"
Lets also do it the "Texan way" with some Death Penaltys
I wonder if this is a capital crime in Texas?? They're real good at killin' folks legally down there. Yeeee-haaaw!!
Nothing interesting to say...MUST...NOT...REPLY...ohtheheckwithit.
Don't mess with Texas?
According to Yahoo!, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott 'filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against Sony BMG Music Entertainment for including "spyware" software on its media player designed to thwart music copying. [...] Texas is seeking civil penalties of $2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 * 5 per violation of the state's Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act, which was enacted earlier this year. "Sony has engaged in a technological version of cloak and dagger deceit against consumers by hiding secret files on their computers," Abbott said in a statement.
Guess we really neednt worry about the president getting on this band wagon since he cant even load songs on his ipod.
Unfortunately, his opponent in the next election can back the Brinks truck up to Sony HQ at his convenience.
RIAA: "Sony BMG did nothing wrong. We love Sony BMG. They clean our pool."
Texas Lawyers: "Pardner, yer full o' bull puckey."
Sony BMG: "Can't you sue any better than that?"
Consumers: Yeah, you can all go screw yourselves. Give us some cash.
I am scientifically inaccurate.
$100,000 per rootkit'd CD times 20,000,000 million CDs = $2,000,000,000,000 (2 trillion dollars)
To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
--E.C. Stanton
What is the state of Texas going to do with 5 million coupons for a free Sony CD?
I feel another law suit comming.
Or, this being Canada, a stern talking-to.
You can't take the sky from me...
I heard Sony management got a great deal on this book: Rootkits : Subverting the Windows Kernel.
That recommendation is just... the glazing on the pig
Belief is the currency of delusion.
I hope the Texas Attorney General extracts hundreds of millions from Sony. And then that the other states' attorneys general smell blood and jump on the bandwagon, just like the tobacco settlement. Imagine Sony forced to fund a foundation that makes commercials warning youth of the dangers of DRM :).
I too have felt the cold finger of injustice.
If by stern, you mean apologetic.
I don't know how this all works, but will this result in any money going to the people who bought the cds? Or will the lawyer and the texas authorities pocket it all?
Come on - everyone stop posting for a bit...
Whoa there cowboy. This is Texas we're talkin' about. Stand down with all that high-falutin' legal talk there. Sony obviously just needs some killin', let it be.
Returned Peace Corps IT Volunteer
A la how the SSSCA changed into the CBDTPA, the TCPA changed into the TCG, and Palladium morphed into NGCSB, DRM will be needing a new name now that everyone knows what it is. Please post your entries in this thread.
I too have felt the cold finger of injustice.
Let's stab him in some of the lesser-known organs.
Since he doesn't know what they do, he shouldn't really care about it, right?
I tried attaching the permanent marker to the CD as you suggest, but I was unable to get it into my slot-loading CD drive. I did manage to get it into a tray-loader, but there was a problem. Apparently autorun still executes the CD if you attach a marker to it. I'm sticking with tape.
"copyright infridgement": The act of placing copyrights in refrigerators, I take it?
Now *that* is chilling.
at least we can kill -9 them.
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
A corporation actually managed to piss off Texas enough to take legal action? I mean, come on. It's Texas.
I'm just surprised one of the little puppy or some liberal states didn't act first.
(If they did, ignore the previous line plzkthx.
Sony changed their name to "Sorry", and were promptly sued by Parker Brothers.
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Sounds like a John Lennon song...
except for the killin' part.
Could be worse. Could be subscriptions to "Vibe".
Unfortunately, that only works if killing them will prevent your property from getting damaged/stolen. Inapplicable in this case.
Perhaps one could argue deterrment value? I'll bet a few Sony execs getting shot would shure make them think twice about doing it again!
No, it says "Windows ME".
So close to the PS3 release date, now we'll have to boycott it. Are we sure Microsoft had nothing to do with this? :)
Shucks!
send the CEOs to prison, and fine them too.
best of both worlds.
Sony obviously just needs some killin', let it be.
Sounds like a John Lennon song... except for the killin' part.
Sounds like a Pantera song... except for the let it be part.
Star Pirates