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Baloney! No Sony! Pass it on.

Subject: Baloney! No Sony! Pass it on.

If you've bought a CD or DVD from Sony lately, this article is of interest to you.

It's a highly technical article, but what it amounts to is that as an >"anti-piracy" measure, Sony BMG is selling CDs and DVDs that infect your >operating system with a "RootKit": a group of programs that can't be >deleted or even detected unless you're an expert. > >The Sony CD in question, if you try to play it in your computer, covertly >installs system-level software without warning you and then tries to hide >it from you. It also apparently opens holes that leave your operating >system open to other viruses and spyware. > >
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> > > >I believe that constitutes illegal computer tampering under California >law, and a DA with a hard-on for political publicity could make a lot of >mileage with it. > > > >For me, that's a clear message to take Sony entertainment off my "buy" list.

People can do without a lot of things and still be happy, but two things we absolutely must have: a strong desire to make something happen, and the belief that we are making some progress, however small.

Reply to
Robert Baer
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Probably not, because they found the rootkit during the process of attempting to terminate the license (removing the software). No intent to circumvent, no crime.

Yes, because no rootkits have *ever* been written for Linux, and there are no American tanks in Baghdad.

-- jm

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Reply to
John Miles

::Sony BMG is selling CDs and DVDs ::that infect your [Windoze] operating system with a "RootKit" ::

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The Google cache of the article with the most salient points highlighted: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:TS33qi5GWaMJ:

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*-rootkit-*-*-associated-*-*-*-*+*-First-4-*-DRM-*+underhanded+sloppily-*+malware+hide-files-Registry-*-*-*-*-*+from-diagnostic-*-security-software+purchased-*-*-recently+*-can-only-be-played-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-itself+cripple-*-computer+Sony-ships-*-*-*+*-means-*-uninstall+*-mention-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-couldn-*-*+Sony-BMG

Reply to
JeffM

I wonder if the probing around the folks at sysinternals.com did could be considered a violation of the DMCA?

Answer: Run Linux.

--
Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

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