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  • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 2005 11:13 AM

Sony Fucks Up Yet Another Way In DRM Debacle

Submitted by jake_lex

Edited by Christopher

OK, so let's see if I have the list of all the fuck-ups Sony pulled in this whole deal about their DRM software: first, they put a copy-protection program on their CD's that uses a rootkit to hide it. Then it's discovered that this rootkit can easily be used to hide viruses on your system. Sony balks at first about removing this rootkit program, but they finally give an uninstaller. However, to get it, you have to answer a rather intrusive questionnaire first, and there are questions about how safe the uninstaller is for your system.

So what else could go wrong in this story for Sony? How about a violation of the General Product License (GPL), the license that governs the use of open-source software?

The XCP program will have installed itself on a Windows-operated personal computer when consumers want to play 49 title CDs from Sony BMG. The programme forces consumers to use a music player that comes with the program.

This music player contains components from an open source project, an MP3 player called LAME, it emerged.

"Multiple software components on the CD have references to the LAME open source MP3 code," Finnish software developer Matti Nikki said in an e-mail.

After unraveling the code, others found similar evidence.

"We can confirm that at least 5 functions in the XCP software are identical to functions in LAME," said Thomas Dullien at security software firm Saber Security in Bochum, Germany, which specializes in the analysis of complex software.

Open source software, if used, needs to be identified as such, so that it can be freely shared with others. Developers on Slashdot.org and other Internet bulletin boards could not find an open source reference in the copy-protection software.


And, further, if any open source software is integrated into another program, that makes the rest of the software open source. Sony doesn't show any signs of doing that either.

Sony's incompetence in this matter continues to just boggle the mind. How could they have been so wrong-headed and just plain stupid in this whole matter?

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Comments
MetaTag

MetaTag

United Kingdom
September 2002

NOV 18, 2005 12:25 PM

Someone is not likely to get a fat bonus this year!


Sony BMG earlier this week said it would recall some 4.7 million CDs



biggrin biggrin biggrin

LokisChild

LokisChild

USA
March 2005

NOV 18, 2005 01:33 PM

Sony's incompetence in this matter continues to just boggle the mind. How could they have been so wrong-headed and just plain stupid in this whole matter?

i'm guessing it has something to do with how many of our political 'leaders' in the u.s. are acting....giving a bad example.... surreal
EL SUICIDO LOCO

kennyg

kennyg

Berkeley, CA
November 2003

NOV 18, 2005 01:37 PM

You're right, but you slightly misrepresent Open Source Software. There are many different licenses that cover Open Source. Some would allow what Sony did, but the GPL and LGPL do not.

jake_lex said:
So what else could go wrong in this story for Sony? How about a violation of the General Product License (GPL), the license that governs the use of open-source software?


Should say "...governs the use of some open-source software?"

And, further, if any open source software is integrated into another program, that makes the rest of the software open source. Sony doesn't show any signs of doing that either.


Should say "...if any GPLd software is integrated..."

hadees

hadees

Austin, TX
December 2003

NOV 18, 2005 01:40 PM

jake_lex said:
And, further, if any open source software is integrated into another program, that makes the rest of the software open source. Sony doesn't show any signs of doing that either.



Sony only licensed the software. I belive the GPL violations fall on First 4 Internet who are the software authors and owners.

And I still don't know how liable Sony is on everything else verse First 4 Internet.

[Edited on Nov 18, 2005 by hadees]

unfiltrator

unfiltrator

San Francisco, CA
April 2004

NOV 18, 2005 06:14 PM

Sony creeps me out.

MistahPrince

MistahPrince

Chicago, IL
February 2005

NOV 18, 2005 06:27 PM

I thought you were going to mention Sony illegally hiring street artists to advertise the PSP. Bunch of fucking hypocrites.

malkav11

malkav11

Saint Paul, MN
July 2003

NOV 19, 2005 01:22 AM

I think, in the final analysis, we will find Bill Gates snickering over his mind control array.

wink

tuffghost

tuffghost

Austin, TX
November 2004

NOV 19, 2005 01:30 AM

In order to keep people from stealing music, a company steals software.

someone call Webster's... Sony has redefined "Irony."

azathoth42

azathoth42

Dallas, TX
September 2004

NOV 19, 2005 02:06 PM

Let's not forget that McAfee and Symantec don't recognize the DRM as malware, and only provide a fix to "de-cloak" the hidden files, and Microsloth has said nothing on how it tampers with .dll files on your PC and can potentially make the OS even more unstable.

If a hacker did that, OMFG the stink it would cause. Because Sony does it... oh well!

Also, the shelf life on a virus is a few months to a year at best, but since this code is encoded onto a music CD, there could be potential for relapse fro years!

A friend has been bugging me to go Linux for a couple of years now, Maybe it's time. ARRR!!!

_Nate_

_Nate_

Greensburg, PA
March 2005

NOV 21, 2005 07:30 AM

The LAME mp3 encoder is not under the GPL. LAME is released under the LGPL which means that they could have used the stolen code if they went about it in the proper way,

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