Bad Sony, BAD!
danger boy
Posts: 15,722
I don't know if you all heard about this already or not. but it's a good read. I found it interesting that giant Sony Corp. got in trouble for hiding a software program on some of it's CD. I guess when you try and burn YOUR purchased CD, it also installs a anti piracy software program on YOUR computer without your knowledge.
read below.. long article.
Nov. 28, 2005 issue - Benjamin Franklin once remarked that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In that case, someone should immediately dispatch a cadre of psychiatrists to the headquarters of Sony. Its efforts to protect the music it sells have resultedagainin unmitigated disaster. After infuriating its customers, alienating its artists and running afoul of the Homeland Security Department, Sony last week announced a recall of 52 CD titleseveryone from Dion to Celine Dionprotected with a flawed scheme that left customers' computers vulnerable to viruses and vandals.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement
Sony has been here before. The company invented personal entertainment with the Walkman, but has failed to gain traction against Apple's iPod in part because the initial versions of the Digital Walkman were hobbled by limitations based on fear of piracy. When Sony launched an online music store to compete with Apple's, a similar defensiveness and tough "digital rights management" (DRM) software contributed to a poor start. Since Sony's new CEO Howard Stringer is a smart guy, one might have assumed that he cautioned the company's music division, which recently merged with Bertelsmann's BMG label, that future efforts should not turn off customers by erring on the side of protection.
To the contrary, Sony BMG now is apparently focusing its anti-piracy efforts on the paying customer. The industry has gained some traction against Internet file-sharing services, so the label decided to take on the commonplace practice of friends' making copies of songs for each other. The idea was to lock down music on CDs, just as legally downloaded songs have limitations on how many copies you can make via computers, among other restrictions. (Those who simply played the discs on CD players would see no change.)
On one hand this sounds reasonable, but in practice that's not the case. Music fans consider CDs overpriced to begin with. Sony BMG decided to maintain the high prices while devaluing the product. Only if you deconstructed the complicated license agreement that appears on your PC when you loaded the disc could you understand that Sony was complicating the nature of its customer transactions. It specified that you didn't really own the Neil Diamond songs for which you paid $19. You were just buying certain rights to play them, under esoteric terms that Sony BMG specified. (One example: if you declare bankruptcy, you have to delete the songs from your computer.) You could make only three copies. Andget thisyou could not play your songs on iPods. (A tedious workaround does exist to fix this.)
But the killer for Sony was its horrifically flawed DRM implementation. In its zeal to protect its property, Sony didn't sufficiently evaluate or test its software. In order to rip the songs to your computer, you had to install a program that secretly inserted a "rootkit" into your system. This is a form of spyware potentially exploitable by digital wrongdoers; the Homeland Security Department specifically instructs consumers not to install such software from audio CDs. Now Sony has been forced to recall the discs. (Its public statement says that "we are committed to making this situation right" and adds that "the experience of consumers is our primary concern.") It's taken a drubbing in the press. And its artists are suffering sales hits and bad vibes from fans.
The music industry's future lies in encouraging people to get more music legally, by providing more convenience and features. Punishing paying customers by giving them broken product is... insanity.
read below.. long article.
Nov. 28, 2005 issue - Benjamin Franklin once remarked that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In that case, someone should immediately dispatch a cadre of psychiatrists to the headquarters of Sony. Its efforts to protect the music it sells have resultedagainin unmitigated disaster. After infuriating its customers, alienating its artists and running afoul of the Homeland Security Department, Sony last week announced a recall of 52 CD titleseveryone from Dion to Celine Dionprotected with a flawed scheme that left customers' computers vulnerable to viruses and vandals.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement
Sony has been here before. The company invented personal entertainment with the Walkman, but has failed to gain traction against Apple's iPod in part because the initial versions of the Digital Walkman were hobbled by limitations based on fear of piracy. When Sony launched an online music store to compete with Apple's, a similar defensiveness and tough "digital rights management" (DRM) software contributed to a poor start. Since Sony's new CEO Howard Stringer is a smart guy, one might have assumed that he cautioned the company's music division, which recently merged with Bertelsmann's BMG label, that future efforts should not turn off customers by erring on the side of protection.
To the contrary, Sony BMG now is apparently focusing its anti-piracy efforts on the paying customer. The industry has gained some traction against Internet file-sharing services, so the label decided to take on the commonplace practice of friends' making copies of songs for each other. The idea was to lock down music on CDs, just as legally downloaded songs have limitations on how many copies you can make via computers, among other restrictions. (Those who simply played the discs on CD players would see no change.)
On one hand this sounds reasonable, but in practice that's not the case. Music fans consider CDs overpriced to begin with. Sony BMG decided to maintain the high prices while devaluing the product. Only if you deconstructed the complicated license agreement that appears on your PC when you loaded the disc could you understand that Sony was complicating the nature of its customer transactions. It specified that you didn't really own the Neil Diamond songs for which you paid $19. You were just buying certain rights to play them, under esoteric terms that Sony BMG specified. (One example: if you declare bankruptcy, you have to delete the songs from your computer.) You could make only three copies. Andget thisyou could not play your songs on iPods. (A tedious workaround does exist to fix this.)
But the killer for Sony was its horrifically flawed DRM implementation. In its zeal to protect its property, Sony didn't sufficiently evaluate or test its software. In order to rip the songs to your computer, you had to install a program that secretly inserted a "rootkit" into your system. This is a form of spyware potentially exploitable by digital wrongdoers; the Homeland Security Department specifically instructs consumers not to install such software from audio CDs. Now Sony has been forced to recall the discs. (Its public statement says that "we are committed to making this situation right" and adds that "the experience of consumers is our primary concern.") It's taken a drubbing in the press. And its artists are suffering sales hits and bad vibes from fans.
The music industry's future lies in encouraging people to get more music legally, by providing more convenience and features. Punishing paying customers by giving them broken product is... insanity.
PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
Post edited by danger boy on
Comments
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Yup ...Sony's gone to far , and this includes any DVD movie put out recently by them .
The copy protection on their movies is just as bad and it too has MAJOR flaws in it causing many DVD players (PC and home) not able to play said movie (all though there are ways around it) .
I fiqure if you legally purchased the music/cd or DVD/movie , you should have the right to copy these items for your own personal usage or back-up .
*Sony also does the same with many pc video games that just wont run properly with this crap copy protection implimented , as Sony has NEVER once tested this protection software for game compatibility . Games just wont run in most cases . Ive run across this problem myself with two very recent and VERY popular games ; "FEAR" is one of these .
Sony sucks .SDA-2B's ~ Pair SDA-CRS's ~ ,*** Main listening: Maggies MG1 ~ Polk SDA 2B's ~ Monitor 10's , 3-pairs (2 pairs moded into SDA's w/SDA-2B/CRS cross-overs) , * DCM TF600's * Mission M71/M72 *** Main brdrm FRT: RTiA-5's /Presence RTi-4 / LSI-704 Cntr / Rear FXI3's ~~~ Assorted Main listening rm : , 2- Heathkit W-5M /tube mono blocks (Parasound P/HP-850)* * 2- Altec Lansing 1590b's/mono blocks (Yamaha C-45) * CM Labs 35D * Dynaco ST-70 ~ Occasionally ~* Yamaha CR-820/A-760 ,* Sansui AU-317/AU-217 * Carver 900 rec *2-Dynaco ST 120* 1 Hafler DH-220* Marantz 1040 ... more -
The digital millenium copyright act makes it illegal to copy any store-bought data (cds, movies, etc) for any reason under any circumstances. This law has never been enforced, but it does exist and is helping with a lot of this. It isn't just sony.My Iron Man training/charity blog.
HT:
32" Sharp LCD. H/K dpr 1001 to Outlaw Audio 7900 to Polk LSi + Paradigm Studio center. Hsu DualDrive ULS-15. PS3/Wii. Outlaw 7900. -
I hear ya and raise you three Sony CD's. ha ha ha. but how many other CD companies installed software on your computer without your knowledge? When you were just trying to play the CD in your computer? Ummmmm, None.PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin: -
The DMCA is one thing, but you don't just have to attempt to copy the CD for it to install the software... as soon as you pop the CD in your computer to LISTEN to it, it installs the software. And hell, even anti-copy software is fine as long as it works right, but Sony's software contains a rootkit, which opens up security holes in Windows and will allow for future exploitation by viruses and the like (at least one virus is already in the wild that exploits the Sony copy protection).
I will NOT knowingly buy another Sony product again. Be it hardware or media... there are enough people who know about this issue that if everyone isn't passive about it, Sony might hurt a little.Ludicrous gibs!
