Slashdot Mirror


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.'"

34 of 703 comments (clear)

  1. Texan way..... by ZiakII · · Score: 3, Funny

    Lets also do it the "Texan way" with some Death Penaltys

    1. Re:Texan way..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      That depends. Do you mean "offically" or "just for fun"?

    2. Re:Texan way..... by FosterKanig · · Score: 3, Funny

      Previewing is for the weak.

    3. Re:Texan way..... by mforbes · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just make sure to kill off a few innocents while you're at it, if you're really going to do it the Texas way.

      Mods: Do what you will, but please don't mod this (my) post as funny. Ironic, yes, but this is not funny.

      --

      Allegedly real newspaper headline from 1998:
      Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge

    4. Re:Texan way..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why do people think Bush is (1) stupid; (2) evil; and (3) has all sorts of magical powers?

      Well, those who believe #1 and #2 must believe in #3, how else would they explain how Bush won in the last election despite #1 and #2?

    5. Re:Texan way..... by failure-man · · Score: 5, Funny

      It got modded as funny! Now that's ironic . . . . . . . .

    6. Re:Texan way..... by anagama · · Score: 4, Funny
      Why do people think Bush is (1) stupid; (2) evil; and (3) has all sorts of magical powers?
      Well, those who believe #1 and #2 must believe in #3, how else would they explain how Bush won in the last election despite #1 and #2?
      The standard for voting is pretty low -- you have to be at least 18, be US citizen, and have a heartbeat. That describes a mountain of idiots.
      --
      What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    7. Re:Texan way..... by Helios1182 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Unless you live in New Jersey or Chicago, then you don't even need a heartbeat.

    8. Re:Texan way..... by DavidTC · · Score: 4, Funny

      I would opt for old age.

      --
      If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
    9. Re:Texan way..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'll take Death by Snu Snu.

    10. Re:Texan way..... by Markus+Landgren · · Score: 4, Funny

      We don't believe he has magical powers, we only believe that a sufficiently large portion of US citizens are also stupid and/or evil.

    11. Re:Texan way..... by killjoe · · Score: 3, Funny

      The french have given us great wine and great cheese. Texas has given un George Bush.

      Mmmmmm. Tough call that one.

      --
      evil is as evil does
  2. So, um... by brilinux · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't mess with Texas?

    1. Re:So, um... by mattsucks · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't root Texas.

  3. First Prime Factorization Post by aldeng · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:First Prime Factorization Post by Jherek+Carnelian · · Score: 4, Funny

      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,

      Good thing Texas hasn't been teaching "intelligent math" (the theory that big numbers are too BIG to ever come from little numbers) else they'd never figure out how much sony's penalities will be.

  4. george dubya? by meccaneko · · Score: 4, Funny

    Guess we really neednt worry about the president getting on this band wagon since he cant even load songs on his ipod.

    1. Re:george dubya? by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny

      He managed to fall off a Segway.

      Do you have any idea how much trouble the designers went through to make sure people couldn't fall off a Segway?

      I'm less worried about what would happen if he got on the band wagon than what would happen if he tried to get off.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  5. That takes balls.... by steveshaw · · Score: 5, Funny
    which are exceedingly difficult to find in a politician these days.

    Unfortunately, his opponent in the next election can back the Brinks truck up to Sony HQ at his convenience.

  6. Summary: by millennial · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.
  7. Holy shit! - Do the math by Raul654 · · Score: 4, Funny

    $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
    1. Re:Holy shit! - Do the math by pegr · · Score: 4, Funny

      $100,000 per rootkit'd CD times 20,000,000 million CDs = $2,000,000,000,000 (2 trillion dollars)
       
      (Oblig: pinky to mouth...)

    2. Re:Holy shit! - Do the math by millennial · · Score: 4, Funny

      Maximum penalty for illegally copying and distributing a single song? $150,000. Maximum penalty for installing security-hole-riddled spyware/malware on a person's computer? $100,000. Number of illegally copied songs on the average college student's PC? Estimated at around 3,000. Number of college students in America? Conservatively estimated at 3,000,000. 3,000,000*3,000*$150,000 = $1,350,000,000,000,000. Number of malware-infested CDs? 20,000,000. 100,000*$20,000,000 = $2,000,000,000,000. Let's see... Sony and co. stand to lose $2 trillion, but earn $1,350 trillion. Maximum. Seems the odds are weighted in their favor.

      --
      I am scientifically inaccurate.
  8. Re:Wow, that's gonna be a nice check.. by bassman2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is the state of Texas going to do with 5 million coupons for a free Sony CD?

  9. Re:Canada should sue too by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Funny

    I feel another law suit comming.

    Or, this being Canada, a stern talking-to.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  10. Sony Employee Yule Gift? by eddy · · Score: 4, Funny

    I heard Sony management got a great deal on this book: Rootkits : Subverting the Windows Kernel.

    Buy this book with 'Microsoft Windows Internals, Fourth Edition...' by Mark E. Russinovich today!

    That recommendation is just... the glazing on the pig

    --
    Belief is the currency of delusion.
  11. Sweet. by Ph33r+th3+g(O)at · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.
  12. Last Post? by afaik_ianal · · Score: 3, Funny

    Come on - everyone stop posting for a bit...

  13. Re:Texas law on lethal force in protecting propert by griffjon · · Score: 4, Funny

    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
  14. Re:Everyday I learn something new about r00tkits.. by EnsilZah · · Score: 4, Funny

    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?

  15. Re:Texas law on lethal force in protecting propert by kesuki · · Score: 4, Funny

    at least we can kill -9 them.

  16. In related news... by NeuroManson · · Score: 4, Funny

    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!
  17. Re:Texas law on lethal force in protecting propert by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny
    Sony obviously just needs some killin', let it be.

    Sounds like a John Lennon song...
    except for the killin' part.

  18. Re:Texas law on lethal force in protecting propert by sjames · · Score: 4, Funny

    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!