Posted by Goro on 11/17/05 21:47

Justin wrote:
> omarenoryt@aol.com wrote on [17 Nov 2005 12:21:37 -0800]:
> > Oh no, are thieves throwing temper tantrums because media companies are
> > fucking them over from being able to steal? Their hysteria is even more
> > funny than their utter cowardice.
>
> No, Sony is treating everyone like a thief.

in additional, Sony is ACTING like a thief. There have been a couple
of code snippets found in the Sony XCP code that is from (L)GPL,
including lame.

AND more interesting, apparently, it has some code that subverts
APPLE'S DRM. and this is apparently a DMCA violation.

So, they install malware on your computer without your knowledge, which
(a) sucks up resources, (b) allows for exploits by other viruses, (c)
blocks use of ALL CD rippers, whether it be justified or nto (for
instance, it blocks ripping of non-copyrighted material and prevents
you from ripping to put your music on your iPod) (d) "phones home"
without your knowledge and reveals some information about you to them.

Then, when confronted with it, Sony (a) denies any culpability (b) says
"No one knows what a rootkit is and so they shouldn't be worried about
it" (c) claims that it does not compromise security.

Later they offer an uninstall, which (a) doesn't remove the XCP
software, (b) leaves LARGER security holes in windows, including the
ability for ANY webpage to run ANY code on your machine, (c) installs
more crap onto your machine.

oh yeah, and the mess up Apple's OSX also.

really, the pirate/bootleggers are likely to be ok as I'm sure they've
got autoplay turned off and are more careful about how/what they rip
(hell, after the Suncomm fiasco, you'd think Sony wold've learned).
But the people REALLY getting screwed are the ones that wanted to
listen to Celine Dion on their iPods.

Here are a couple of links to some of the discoveries/analyses of the
latest XCP:

http://www.the-interweb.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/20051117.html
http://hack.fi/~muzzy/sony-drm/

-goro-

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