RIAA Chief Defends Rootkit Sony/BMG response 'very responsible' RIAA President Cary Sherman on Sony/BMG's controversial DRM (via Boing Boing): "How many times that software applications created the same problem? Lots. I wonder whether they've taken as aggressive steps as SonyBMG has when those vulnerabilities were discovered, or did they just post a patch on the Internet?" There is the stealth drivers installed by Starforce, which we've complained about frequently, but remains in use because it is seemingly slowing pirated PC game releases to Bit Torrent networks.
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 nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | wah.... Didn't Cary Sherman's mom ever teach him that
"Just because someone else does it, doesn't make it right!" | |
|  | | | Re: wah.... RIAA President Cary Sherman said, "The problem with the SonyBMG situation is that the technology they used contained a security vulnerability of which they were unaware."
Almost everyone on planet Earth knows that rootkits are a problem; what planet does SonyBMG live on? | |
| | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: wah.... i didn't know or still don't really know what a rootkit is....
what everyone should know is that the ceo is trying to do damage control. But he's trying to brush the problem off, not take responsibility and say his company F'ed up... so while he may like to admit they messed up, if he does, this hurts the company more, and hurts the stockholders | |
| | | |  maartenaElmoPremium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
kudos:1 | Re: wah.... said by nonner9:i didn't know or still don't really know what a rootkit is.... I think the point that he is trying to make is that everyone who releases software, music or movies should have people employed who are smart enought that a rootkit is NOT something people would want on their PC's.
I am not buying any CD's from companies that require you to install software on your PC to play them there. Its bull-shit.
--
George W. Bush on Clinton going into Kosovo, 1999: “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
Right. | |
| | | | | | | Re: wah.... said by maartena:I am not buying any CD's from companies that require you to install software on your PC to play them there. Its bull-shit. Me neither. Not only is it bullshit, those technically are not CD's as they do not conform to the CD standard. They should not be allowed to label them as CD's because CD's they are not. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: wah.... said by divdiv4:...those technically are not CD's as they do not conform to the CD standard. They should not be allowed to label them as CD's because CD's they are not. They aren't supposed to have that Compact Disk label on them, according to Phillips (creators of the CD standard). If you don't see that label you can be sure that CD has DRM. | |
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1 edit | said by nonner9:I didn't know or still don't really know what a rootkit is.... Me neither, but from what I've read is that rootkit is pretty much spyware/malware on steroids. What makes it different from spyware/malware is that it attaches itself to OS system files, making it a lot more difficult to detect than ordinary spyware/malware. The one made by SONY went even further, not only did it hide itself, it also provided an opportunity for other malicious software to hide itself as well.
said by nonner9:What everyone should know is that the CEO is trying to do damage control. But he's trying to brush the problem off, not take responsibility and say his company F'ed up... so while he may like to admit they messed up, if he does, this hurts the company more, and hurts the stockholders. Well, that's a hell of a way to do damage control. All companies manage to f*** up every now and then; after all, we are all human and we all make mistakes every once in a while. What's important is to recognize your mistake, accept responsibility and not to repeat it again.
In this case, RIAA essentially says:
"F*** you, this is NOT OUR PROBLEM, and if you are one of the poor ones who got infected by this DRM RootKit, then too bad for you. We will continue releasing products without any kind of testing, and if one of them does the same or worse in the future, well, once again, too bad for you.
I wonder how shareholders will feel when their SONY stock drops due to company's decrease in sales due to this kind of attitude.
--
Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies...
A MESSAGE to the RIAA and the MPAA: You shouldn't wound what you can't kill...
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| | | | |  peter_mPremium
join:2005-07-13
Canada, QC
2 edits | Re: wah.... Sony's stock will not drop until this info hits main stream medias. So far this information only circulates in specialised forums... basic in almost closed circles. The only mention of the Sony fiasco in main steam was last week in a news show. They only said Sony pulled "defective" CDs from shelves. No mention the threat they cause was intentional, no mention of why it's a threat, no mention of the lawsuits and no mention that Microsoft thought it was such a big threat, that they will provide a removal solution them selves.
Besides, do you really think average Joe and Mary will be able to live without there favorite tunes or shiny new gadgets? | |
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| | | | | A rootkit is a device driver.
On the windows system, most programs you buy and install all run in ring3 mode called user mode. In ring3, certain things are restricted, like the ability to use hardware interrupts.
A device driver however is allowed to run in ring0 mode, the OS level. Naturally since they are mostly used for working with hardware you buy, they need access to hardware interrupts.
Basically what a rootkit (A device driver created to hide programs) does is sit in between hardware and software. Lets say for example you have a file on the hard drive called evil.exe, which is a virus. This virus is protected by a device driver called a rootkit. When you launch your antivirus and scan all files on the c drive, The operating system will request something from the device driver to send a list of all files and their locations on the hard drive. That's where the rootkit comes in, it keeps a watch on those requests and simply removes things it doesn't want an application to know. In this case, it would remove evil.exe from the list returned by the operating system.
If you go into folder options on you're computer, you can get an idea of how they work by selecting do not show hidden files. Then go mark a file hidden and notice it disappears from view. That little feature is what gave people the idea for rootkits. | |
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| |  KompressorPremium
join:2002-02-12
Huntington Beach, CA | said by tbeckner:RIAA President Cary Sherman said, "The problem with the SonyBMG situation is that the technology they used contained a security vulnerability of which they were unaware." Almost everyone on planet Earth knows that rootkits are a problem; what planet does SonyBMG live on? Uranus | |
| | | | | | Re: wah.... said by Kompressor:said by tbeckner:RIAA President Cary Sherman said, "The problem with the SonyBMG situation is that the technology they used contained a security vulnerability of which they were unaware." Almost everyone on planet Earth knows that rootkits are a problem; what planet does SonyBMG live on? Uranus Rootkits have been big news. My knowledge of rootkits has nothing to do with the fact that I have been in IT for 33 years, but you would think that SonyBMG would have people who know IT, and rootkits have been big news the past year, even Microsoft was concerned about rootkits. Maybe Pluto would be a better description. | |
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| | | said by nonner9:Didn't Cary Sherman's mom ever teach him that "Just because someone else does it, doesn't make it right!" Well she must have, since RIAA is constantly singing its song saying that just because someone is downloading music, it doesn't make it right. Now they are turning back on their own principle and think that it's OK for them to do it just because some game publishers are doing it too. This only shows what a bunch of hypocrites RIAA and their members are.
--
Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies...
A MESSAGE to the RIAA and the MPAA: You shouldn't wound what you can't kill... | |
| | peter_mPremium
join:2005-07-13
Canada, QC
2 edits | If someone else is doing it, doesn't make it right for you to do it!!! Weird, they have the right to F*$# up our machines and we can go to hell??? On top of it, they F*$# up machines of honest people as well as hackers and pirating experts... Oh wait, the hackers and pirating experts know how to avoid this... So that leaves the honest PAYING customer's with a damaged pc??? Interesting philosophy to shlt on the hands that feeds you...
And if an honest paying customer reads this, they might get pissed... ok people let's just be louder and not just in here! | |
| |  tacomaBleeding Dodger BluePremium
join:2001-05-18
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Texas is suing Sony BMG Music Entertainment, alleging the company illegally installed spyware on millions of music CDs that Attorney General Greg Abbott says can make computers “vulnerable to computer viruses and other forms of attack.”
Abbott said the spyware installs files onto the computers on which the CDs are played.
"Sony has engaged in a technological version of cloak and dagger deceit against consumers by hiding secret files on their computers," Abbott said.
»www.kwtx.com/news/headlines/1996172.html | |
| | | | He never had a Mother. He was hatched from a larvae, laid in fresh cow manure, by a fly.
Greed will succumb to itself. Or someone's lawyer. He who sues the RIAA last, wins! | |
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2 edits | what's good for the goose is good for the gander I guess Sony has a corporate policy that no employee can play a CD on their computer. Cause if Sony's senior management had, their computer could be trojaned (and no virus/spyware tool would know), and then all sorts of Sony private data would be available for the taking. Wouldn't EMI love to know what's on his hard drive? Or Panasonic? | |
| | | angry If I were an artist that was coaxed into letting sony/bmg use that rootkit, I'd be pretty pissed. Not only does the CD mess things up, but it sends out a bad message against the artist - even though they had no physical part in it. Just because S/BMG has issued a patch, doesn't mean that they have "fixed" it. It should have never happened in the first place. | |
| |  King PDon't blame me. I voted for Ron PaulPremium
join:2004-11-17
Franklin, TN
 ·Comcast
 ·Vonage
1 edit | Re: angry Unfortunately if you are an artist on the Sony/BMG label (or any major label), you will not have a choice in the matter. Once you sign the contract with the label, they own at least 50% of copyrights to your music, and they can do whatever they want with it, because it will be written in to your contract.
But I still agree with you. The artists should say something about it, or better yet DO something about it.
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Forget 'em, Support the Indies.
»www.ind-music.com | |
| | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: angry the artist do have a say... when they sign their contract, after that, they are pretty much puppets | |
| | | | King PDon't blame me. I voted for Ron PaulPremium
join:2004-11-17
Franklin, TN Reviews:
·Comcast
·Vonage
2 edits | Re: angry Don't take this as a personal argument or anything...
No they don't. If you do the research you will find out that a band's first contract (and sometimes their ONLY contract) is NOT designed to give them any say. Remember Hootie and the Blowfish? Their debut album (Cracked Rear View) grossed over 12 million copies. Do you know how many of those 12 million their label gave away to record clubs like BMG or Columbia House (you know the buy 1 get 12 free deals)? 4 million. That is 4 million albums that they will NOT get paid for, and guess what else? It was written into their contract and they had NO say about it. This hasn't happened to them only either. This type of clause is in 98% of new band contracts. The same thing goes for promotional discs sent to record stations. The bands pay for those (and everything else including, studio time, music videos, producer's fees, mixing fees, mastering fees) out of the advance they receive from the label, but they don't get paid for the promotional copies. They have to eat the cost, and hope they can make it up somewhere else, like touring or merchandising. Furthermore, remember that the band doesn't begin to make ANY money until every dime of their advance from the record label is paid back.
The ONLY way that you begin to have any say in your contract negotiations is if you have 2 or 3 really successful albums. Only then can you begin to negotiate your contracts. Do you think a band like Green Day was able to get a really great contract when they first signed up? NO, they didn't. However, after 10+ years and more than a few platinum albums, they now have negotiating power, but most labels aren't looking that far in to the future. As far as they are concerned, most artists have a shelf life of about 3-4 years and then they are old news (just look at Britney, Christina, and Creed if you want some examples).
Remember Record Labels are nothing more than banks. They will stand there with the money and the contract, waiting to see which of the new artists will wade through the river of crap and emerge from the crap with a pen, just waiting to sign. If you don't want to sign the contract, they aren't going to beg you because they know there are others that are willing to do it, if you don't. | |
| | | | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: angry exactly, which means the only time the bands have a say, is in the contract they sign... of course most bands want a record deal, so they are willing to give up so much of their business freedom | |
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| | Sherman trying to one-up Hesse? said by Boing Boing article :
RIAA prez: Lots of companies secretly install rootkits! It's no biggie! [ ... ] Other companies do the same thing all the time!
When was the last time a company (as opposed to a criminal outfit) released a rootkit? 
The response:
quote:
Um, Cary? We have a name for the kind of company that installs a rootkit on your computer. We call it "a criminal enterprise." It's hardly the kind of "bug" that your average software vendor has to patch.
At least he's come clean and admitted that the RIAA is a criminal enterprise. No surprise there. Known that for years.
Let's hear the industry shills defend this one.
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Mikami Vvian, resident Girlfriend of Steel, care of the Tokyo-3 Middle Daughters Club | |
| |  tcp1Premium
join:2000-04-17
Herndon, VA | Re: Sherman trying to one-up Hesse? What the...??
Does the RIAA take lessons in how to get bad PR??
"Hey, let's take the most infamous DRM cockup in history, and DEFEND IT!"
Wow. Do these guys have any clue what they're doing to themselves? | |
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 pcscdmaChocobo Chocobo Random BattlePremium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA | well Lots of people download muzic, moviez and warez.
No big deal! | |
| | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: well do i detect sarcasm?
anyway, if it's not free for the taking, and you take it without permission, then you stole it
for some reason, people in general have a hard time grasping the concept of stealing something which isn't a concrete object... | |
| | | | | Re: well And every time Sony or anyone else tries to do something stupid by 'protecting' their CD's (suncomm, remember them?), it drives more and more people to not care. If you treat your customers like thieves, then they will be thieves. Why is that concept so hard to grasp.. Maybe, just MAYBE if they priced it reasonably, people wouldn't be driven to copy. If the consumer doesn't feel they are getting a good deal, they will either
a) copy from a friend
b) download from the internet
c) just not use it..
Note: What's missing from that list? Paying for it.. Noone willingly pays for something if they don't think they are getting a value for their money.
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Sure the internet has lots of porn and piracy, but I'm sure there's a downside to it. | |
| | | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: well don't worry, there is research going on in my university for finding the optimal pricing point for music, both physical and virtual forms. So, far what they are finding is that the days of a CD costing $14 are probably gone... people want the songs they like, and don't want to spend $14 when they aren't sure if they will like most of the CD, I think the price point that people would be willing to buy vs. steal is around $7
..imho.. it's sad that they even have to deal with people stealing, i think this just shows how morals/values have lagged behind technology... | |
| | | | |  pogPremium
join:2004-06-03
Kihei, HI | Re: well said by nonner9:...I think the price point that people would be willing to buy vs. steal is around $7 ... The other equation here deals with people who neither download nor purchase... and I'm one of those. LOL! Personally, I might start buying again if the average price was $7. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: well Pity the RIAA will ignore your research as it will cut their profits too much. | |
| | | | | | | | | Re: well it won't cut into their profits if they end up selling more cds. Imagine 1 person out of 10 buying their cds at $14 and the other 9 out of 10 downloading the songs because they REALLY love the band. The profit would be (pretend each cd is $4 to print, label, package, transport...and whatever else) $10 for the label. But then they drop their prices to $7 and then 5 out of the 10 end up buying the cds, the profit would be only $3 per cd BUT multiplied by the 5 people who bought it ($15).
Simply put: if they drop the prices to the point where they still make money on cds but more people are inclined to purchase them, they will be able to make more money. And all this would be achieved without all the money they are spending on lawyers and copy protection schemes and all that garbage, which likely adds up to millions of dollars in losses ON TOP OF their "losses from piracy". | |
| | | | | | | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: well alot of people in the market segment are used to technology now, and have high expectations, meaning more music for less cost. People don't want to pay extra for fluff, but if you get the songs you want on cd (high quality audio) for a cheaper price, then you are more likely to pay for the fluff... online sales are going to be a bigger money maker soon enough for record companies because the materials cost almost disappear | |
| | | | | | | | | | said by james1:it won't cut into their profits if they end up selling more cds. Imagine 1 person out of 10 buying their cds at $14 and the other 9 out of 10 downloading the songs because they REALLY love the band. The profit would be (pretend each cd is $4 to print, label, package, transport...and whatever else) $10 for the label. But then they drop their prices to $7 and then 5 out of the 10 end up buying the cds, the profit would be only $3 per cd BUT multiplied by the 5 people who bought it ($15). Simply put: if they drop the prices to the point where they still make money on cds but more people are inclined to purchase them, they will be able to make more money. And all this would be achieved without all the money they are spending on lawyers and copy protection schemes and all that garbage, which likely adds up to millions of dollars in losses ON TOP OF their "losses from piracy". A fivefold increase in sales when the price is halved.
I reckon there is still too much risk in those figures. With your example they would have to sell 3 times as many just to lose a small amount, 4 times to make a small increase in profits for more work involved. How can you be certain 5 times as many people would want to buy the pap that is so often put out.
With legal downloads so much of the costs involved have been stripped out, CD production, transport, shop markup, but the price is still way up there compared to where it should be and the RIAA have made Apple INCREASE their prices.
What makes sense to normal people doesn't to get through the heads of record execs. | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Re: well A record label would make a decent profit from selling CD's at even $6 per unit (MSRP). They just won't make an insane amount of profit like they have. If they lowered prices to about $8-$9 I would bet they would get a significant sales push. The problem is the record labels refuse to lose the artificially high profit margins they have been enjoying for so long. When in fact they can still make a nice living AND sells albums at a price appealing to the market. Greed blinds you. | |
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| | | | | | | | | It sounds like the rootkits could be almost everywhere, Hopefully not, But then I've not bought a CD in years, Nor downloaded any mp3s ever. | |
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| | | | | | Come on nonner, say it with us:
It's copyright infringement, not theft...
It's copyright infringement, not theft...
You can do it, you're a big boy!
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Burrow owl...burrow owl... | |
| | | | | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: well It's copyright infringement, not theft.... | |
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| | haertig
join:2000-12-31
Broomfield, CO | said by nonner9:anyway, if it's not free for the taking, and you take it without permission, then you stole it Does this not include the computers used by people who paid for the CD and then played it? Can't you say Sony took the computer without permission? | |
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| | Probation Ya know, these tactics of screwing everyones PC [PC's with all legite software/licenses] because some pirate software, is akin to the law placing EVERY CITIZEN on legal probation when they have not broken the law because some people DO break the law.
Fukkin' Corps
DV
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Bush is the Prez....Think Patriot Act II....This outspoken dissident....In jail I'll be too. | |
|  NOCManMacChatterPremium
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO | He's an idiot. Name one peice of commercial software that rootkits your pc when it's installed?
*crickets*
You sir are an idiot.
The worst thing I think that has happened was Intuit's quicken hiding itself on the boot partition of the hard drive.
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»www.silentbrouhaha.com | |
| | | | Re: He's an idiot. said by NOCMan:The worst thing I think that has happened was Intuit's quicken hiding itself on the boot partition of the hard drive. And IIRC, that came back and bit them in the ass pretty hard. | |
| |  IamZedPremium
join:2001-01-10
Dayton, OH | Daemon Tools
Alcohol 120%
They need them to emulate without being detected.
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Get thee behind me, bullshit | |
| | | pogPremium
join:2004-06-03
Kihei, HI | Re: He's an idiot. said by IamZed:Daemon Tools Alcohol 120% They need them to emulate without being detected. There are tools that apparently do this job... »www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cd···_8.shtml ...I can't vouch for their effectiveness, though. Never tried any of them. | |
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| | All Sony has to do is Lobby... Sony only needs to lobby Senator Orin Hatch, that anti- consumer advocate in Washington DC. He can then cajole his Senate/Congress cronies to pass legislation that will legalize this type of "copy protection". Remember, he's the Senator that said it would be OK if protectors of copy rights destroyed infringing users computers. Maybe Sony has already taken his advice? | |
| | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: All Sony has to do is Lobby... don't most states allow someone to use non-deadly force to protect their property? so, in one of those states, wouldn't it be legal for someone to use destroy infringing users computers in order to protect their property?
or maybe instead of destroying their computer, they can just lock it down requiring a password which can only be obtained once the property is paid for? | |
| | |  AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ
kudos:1 | Re: All Sony has to do is Lobby... They aren't destroying 'infringing' computers, the so-called Sony root kit messes up the legitimate user's PC as well. | |
| | |  IT GuyOw, My BallsPremium
join:2004-07-29
Las Cruces, NM | Who ever gave corporations police powers? There's a little thing in this country called Due Process, and as far as I'm concerned if companies wish to violate civil rights, to Hell with their copyrights, DRM's and profits. They steal our rights and we'll "steal" their crappy pop music. Sounds like a fair trade to me. Although I go an entirely different route and download music from INDEPENDENT labels. Major labels only produce crap music anyway.
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My time is a piece of wax, falling on a termite, that's choking on a splinter. --Beck | |
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| | | Ah, but the Department of Homeland Security has already told content providers that they shouldn't mess with consumers' computers lest they disable the protections that people need to place on their systems. If another company releases a computer-disabling DRM, we'll just have to say that this could be used by terrorists and it should be banned. (For once that "terrorists!" cry might do some good.  )
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-Jason Levine
My Gallery | Jason's Toolbox | PCQandA.com | URateit.com | |
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1 edit | DMCA Uh... Mr. Sherman... didn't Sony also violate the DMCA by using code protected under the GPL? So is it, or isn't it okay to copy IP? We just want to make backup copies for personal use while Sony used it for financial gain. Care to explain that one?
So why aren't our elected politicians calling for a senate hearing on this one? IMO, this is MUCH more important than steroid use by a bunch of overpaid sports `professionals'. This might even be something that the DHS should be interested in. Why isn't the media/news making a bigger issue of this?
::EDIT to add::
»www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/18···ngement/ | |
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See 6 replies to this post | |
maartenaElmoPremium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
kudos:1 | Music or.....Software? "How many times that software applications created the same problem? Lots. I wonder whether they've taken as aggressive steps as SonyBMG has when those vulnerabilities were discovered, or did they just post a patch on the Internet?"
What a load of crap. There is a huge difference between fixing bugs in a certain application or operating system that contains millions of lines of code, and having a friggin MUSIC CD, yes a MUSIC CD install software on your PC just because you like to play music on your PC which also acts as a home entertainment center.
When I buy SOFTWARE, I can expect bugs. I may even expect it installs something I don't like. If I buy MOVIES or MUSIC, it should never ever install anything on your computer. Period.
--
George W. Bush on Clinton going into Kosovo, 1999: “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
Right. | |
| | | legal technicalities aside , practical aspects... Stepping back from the legal/moral fray of whether this is right or wrong, consider the practical aspects. You buy a CD. You expect high fidelity audio when you play it in an audio system. You might also expect the same high fidelity audio when you play it on your computer drive if you have a decent soundchip and have harnessed good speakers to your computer. You might expect that level of audio quality to be inherent in a MediaPC type computer. But will your expectations be met with one of these rootkit CDs? No, because you can't access the original audio files on the CD through your computer. The rootkit installs a proprietary player interface that plays it in MP3 ripped at 128kbs or the Sony proprietary ATRAC format ripped at 132kbs. So not only does it suck what they do to your computer, the playback quality sucks too.
dw | |
| |  PlasticmanWill Work For BandwidthPremium
join:2002-09-06
Johnston, RI | Re: legal technicalities aside , practical aspects... They defend their decision because people violate copywrite laws. But you don't hear Sony making comments when it was found that they are themselves violating copywrite laws in reguards to using code from LAME and not following LAME's copywrite.
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Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill today because they pissed me off | |
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| | Pirated PC games I would think that games a pirated less now then before because of the boom of MMORPG and multiplayer online games that require a unique key to play online. The good thing is I can still download games to try before I buy. Doom3, Battlefront I did not like so I did not buy. CS and BF2 I do like so after downloading and trying out I went out and bought the games. Battlefront 2 is next on my torrent list.
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (as amended Oct. 3, 1996)
Section 1030. Fraud and related activity in connection with computers (8)the term "damage" means any impairment to the integrity or availability of data, a program, a system, or information, that-- | |
| | | "piece of tape defeats any CD DRM" )) "Gartner: piece of tape defeats any CD DRM
Posted by Dan Bell on 21 November 2005 - 18:11 - Source: Vnunet
RTV71 used our news submit to tell us "I'm waiting for RIAA to propose making tape illegal." The report from Vnunet.com quotes the analyst firm Gartner, stating that the obscuring of the data track with tape, will cause a computer to skip to the music and bypass the DRM from loading, as it is located on the data track or outside edge of the discs. The method can defeat any such DRM designed now or in the future for use in stand alone CD players.
The highly controversial XCP digital rights management (DRM) technology bundled by Sony BMG on 52 of its audio CD albums can be defeated by applying a small piece of tape to the discs, according to analyst firm Gartner.
Applying a piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disk renders the data track of the CD unreadable. A computer trying to play the CD will then skip to the music without accessing the bundled DRM technology."After more than five years of trying, the recording industry has not yet demonstrated a workable DRM scheme for music CDs," Gartner concluded in a newly published research note.
Gartner went on to give this unsettling prediction for the future, as a result of these findings. They feel that the music industry could begin lobbying for legislation requiring computer makers to include DRM technology on their systems in order to thwart piracy."
»www.cdfreaks.com/news/12718 | |
| |  markwp2001SpreadheadPremium
join:2002-05-25
Long Beach, MS | Re: "piece of tape defeats any CD DRM" )) said by bastone: They feel that the music industry could begin lobbying for legislation requiring computer makers to include DRM technology on their systems in order to thwart piracy I'm guessing that no one will be able to figure out how to defeat that technology 
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Please help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thanks, Mark | |
| | | | |  Re: "piece of tape defeats any CD DRM" ))
said by markwp2001:I'm guessing that no one will be able to figure out how to defeat that technology It will be much more difficult to beat hardware-based DRM, but not impossible.
--
Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies...
A MESSAGE to the RIAA and the MPAA: You shouldn't wound what you can't kill... | |
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| | New Business Model Sony installs malware on their last remaining PAYING customers' PCs.
Ya, that's gonna make them loyal to the brand and the dying concept of actually paying for music. | |
|  WileECmindtaker, macky cat, etc.
join:2002-02-07
Yonkers, NY
 ·Verizon FiOS
| This whole thing is so stupid. If the music companies would just drop the price of a music CD to something reasonable, like maybe six bucks, I think that many people would buy the product rather than download inferior tunage from the internet. Look at all the money the industry spends tracking people, developing "copy protection" schemes, doing this and that and everything else, (which all costs $$) when they should just drop all those expenses and market the CDs at a fair price. I remember when CDs hit the market, they said that the price would drop as they became popular. Instead, the price has gone up from an average of $12 per cd to now $18 per cd. It's INSANITY!!! They did this to themselves! The artists are victims and so is the buying public.
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See one of the most beautiful women on earth at PetraCentral! (yes, I work there!) | |
|  dadkinsCan you do Blu?Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
kudos:18 | Starforce? "There is the stealth drivers installed by Starforce, which we've complained about frequently, but remains in use because it is seemingly slowing pirated PC game releases to Bit Torrent networks."
Huh? What are they smoking? Starforce(as well as any other "Copy Protection") is fairly easy to defeat.
Even the Sony/BMG crap is avoidable.
Copy Protection will never work, sorry. LOL!
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Think outside the Fox... Opera | |
| | | | Responsible? Let's see... first, they sneaked this crap in, with no mention of what it really does in the EULA.
Then, when it was first brought out in the open, the flat-out denied it.
Then, when that didn't work, they acted like it wasn't a big deal.
Then they started offering a half-assed uninstaller, which didn't work very well, and actually made the problem worse.
Only after the pressure got to be too much did they agree to stop producing and recall the infected discs. But they wouldn't supply a list of what discs were affected.
Yeah, that's responsible. | |
| | PrntRhdPremium
join:2004-11-03
Fairfield, CA | Re: Responsible? SONY BMG is neither responsible or responsive or truthful with their actions putting rootkits on users PCs. There is NO UNINSTALLER yet posted that actually works, so the RIAA is just blowing smoke again. | |
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