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Canadian Sony Rootkit Settlement Stirs Controversy
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."
It was nice of them to throw that on their discs in some shabby attempt at DRM. I remember when I first found it installed on my computer. Needless to say, you're not going to find me purchasing anything else that contains a DRM anything akin to that.
Customers need to stand up and show media organizations that ther are limits to what we are willing to deal with.
Justin - Don't be afraid of my blog, it won't bite.
Well it would improper to ask for more. We wouldn't want to feel we were being to pushy.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
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...
...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.
It's labeled Exhibit C to Settlement Agreement
For those that haven't RTFDocument, it basically says two things:
1) Sony BMG Canada will not accept any binding injuction based on legal proceedings from a different country with a different set of laws, but...
2) Practically speaking, the actions of Sony BMG Canada will be the same as those of Sony BMG US (for technical/logistical reasons). That is, Sony BMG Canada will unofficially follow the terms of the injunction.
What more do you expect? I'm no fan of lawyers, but certainly no company is going let a precedent be set that their operations in one country will be bound by the legal system of a different country. The document is just saying to Canadian consumers "Look, we can't legally submit to this injunction, but we'll be playing by its rules anyway."
The whole Sony rootkit affair reeks, but this just looks like standard legal procedure - CYA of a fairly inoffensive variety.
Just 'cause the average person doesn't bother to protect rights X,Y, and Z doesn't require that I surrender them.
It does if you live in the United States. If you don't think this is true, there's some men in Guantanamo Bay that would like their speedy trial.
~Rebecca