Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Canadian Sony Rootkit Settlement Stirs Controversy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the neighbors-to-the-north-getting-less-love dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Canadian law professor Michael Geist is reporting that Sony BMG Canada has quietly kept a key legal document secret as part of its class action settlement over last year's rootkit case. The document, which is not on the Sony settlement site but has now been posted on Geist's site (pdf), contains a series of bogus arguments about why Canadians are receiving far less than U.S. consumers."

5 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. What a funny story by Grail · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At the beginning of their statement, Sony BMG Canada says that Sony BMG Canada sources all their material from Sony BMG USA. Then at the end, they say that Sony BMG Canada will not use the specific technology that was the trigger for the injunctions in the USA - this is like saying, "we buy our apples from the USA ... we will make sure all the apples that we make will not have fruit fly in them."

    I wish people would read these arguments before accepting them in their court hearings...

  2. "Bogus" Reasons by loteck · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The reasons include -

    -The fact that the US called for investigation into the Sony DRM debacle and dragged Sony USA into court. Cananda did not, and to date has not.

    -A large percentage of Canadian business with Sony goes through Sony USA instead of through Sony Canada.

    Sony has essentially offered to not infect Canadian computers with their software. I am no fan of Sony, but if Canada doesn't want to go through the procedures of taking Sony through Canadian courts, they shouldn't get to reap the benefits of the results that such an action might produce.

  3. I'm a Canadian and I went shopping... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...for a laptop and I didn't buy a Sony. ...for a digital camera and I didn't buy a Sony.

    I am going shopping for a flat-screen TV and a fancy sound system. Guess what - I'm not buying a Sony. I have only negative things to say about Sony to my friends and family.

    Here is a big clue to the suits: If you're going to try to sneak (DRM or any) software onto *MY* computers, then you won't be selling me anything. Period.

    Funny thing is, back in the '80s I lusted after Sony products and bought them almost exclusively. Funny thing, indeed.

    1. Re:I'm a Canadian and I went shopping... by professionalfurryele · · Score: 2, Interesting

      See I don't think boycott is the way forward. I think the way forward is to get a government with some balls so that whenever any limited liability company does anything even slightly wrong they are utterly destroyed in the courts. We fine them sums that they will never be able to pay, and then use the money from asset stripping them to prop up pension funds and release all their patents, copyright etc.

      As a limited company they have a responsibility to be perfect, and they would be if the economic incentive was there.

  4. An Issue of Karma by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    As an IT professional ive been in the front line thanks to Sony and its ******* drm rootkits, ive had to remove them from so many systems (which are under maintenance so i dont receive a damn thing for all this work), that Sony as far as im concerned are about as stupid (hey i know theyre a record company) as you can get. Unfortunately for them Im a great believer in Karma. One of my clients are a major electrical appliance chain which sells quite a lot of home theatre systems. Their music system is PC based and is fully licensed with ARIA (the equivilent of the RIAA). The Rootkit infected the store quite badly. As a consequence they are boycotting Sony and radically reducing their stock holding in Sony in favour of other manufacturers. Other Stores in the chain are now doing the same. The Rep from Sony has been practically shouted out of the store. BTW they also used to sell a lot of PS2's.