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Sony Sues Rootkit Maker

flyboy974 writes "Sony BMG Music Entertainment is suing the company that developed anti-piracy software for its CDs, claiming the technology was defective and cost the record company millions of dollars to settle consumer complaints and government investigations. The software in question is the MediaMax CD protection system, widely derided as a rootkit. Sony BMG is seeking to recover some $12 million in damages from the Phoenix-based technology company, according to court papers filed July 3."

3 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. Defective by Design by Synchis · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yet another great example of a Product with DRM being Defective by Design! Join the movement: Defective By Design

    --
    Thomas A. Knight
    Author of The Time Weaver
  2. Re:I bet they knew but didn't understand by that+IT+girl · · Score: 5, Informative

    That's the first thing that came to my mind--it's ridiculous for Sony to claim that they had no idea what it was going to do or that they actually thought nobody would care. Remember what Sony president Tony Hesse said about it back in late 2005?

    http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Roo tkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197

    Suuuuuure, Tony. That kind of flip attitude about it will not be exactly convincing.

    --
    10 FILL MUG WITH COFFEE
    20 DRINK COFFEE
    30 GOTO 10
  3. Re:I'm confused by riceboy50 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I do not want to buy a song from iTunes for a buck that I already have on disk, just to listen to it on my iPod, or better yet, I don't have an iPod, so iTunes is useless to me I am tired of this argument. It is just plain incorrect.
    1. You do not have to buy music from the iTunes store in order to listen to it on your iPod. If you rip the music into iTunes from your CD, it will be in the AAC/MP4 standard sans DRM.
    2. iTunes does not require an iPod or the iTunes store in order to be a useful application. It is just a media jukebox that can rip and burn CDs. However, it can also purchase music from the iTunes store and copy files onto an iPod.
    When are people going to stop deriding iTunes and the iPod on these grounds?
    --
    ~ I am logged on, therefore I am.