Musiclovers beware! [UPDATED!]

Psionicist · Nov 1, 2005

Most of you have probably heard about the copy protection mechanism music labels put on CD:s to protect them from piracy. Many of you probably don't care too much about it. However, I think you should. The famous Windows experts from SysInternals.com have discovered a new dangerous copy protection program from Sony, on a album with Van Zant. It's reasonable to assume this new mechanism exist on all new CD's from Sony.

Unlike many other copy protection programs this variant installs silently in the background when you play the CD on a windows system. Unlike many other copy protection programs this one modifies your computer to hide itself. Unless you have a very deep knowledge of how Windows works, you cannot uninstall this without completely breaking your computer, and it's very hard to even know if the program is installed or not.

Unlike other copy protection programs, and even most spyware and malware, this program works very deep inside windows in what's known as kernel mode, alongside drivers. As many of you have probably experienced, a buggy driver can completely ruin your system, unlike a buggy application like Word. Unfortunately, several flaws have been discovered in this copy protection program and under certain circumstances it will break. With the additional quality of the program hiding itself and that it also runs in safe mode, it will be _very hard and expansive_ to fix your computer if it breaks.

Many people have already experienced problems with this new copy protection mechanism:
* Degraded performance.
* Blue screens of death.
* CD-burners and readers promptly stopped working and "disappearing".

So basically what this program does is:
- Installs itself on your computer without asking first
- Hides itself using very advanced techniques commonly found on the kind of programs that steals your credit card info
- Prevents you from uninstalling it
- Modifies your system without asking first
- Possibly breaking your system (now or in the future)
- Prevents you from copying the music to, say, an iPod
- ... all of the above without mentioning it in the EULA.

Lots of groups are very angry about this and people are talking about a huge class action lawsuit against Sony.

In the meantime, I suggest all of you to install and run RootkitRevealer: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/rootkitrevealer.html
This program will discover programs and files that attempts to hide themselves from you. It's a complement to antivirus programs and antispywareprograms.

Also: Do not insert a Sony CD into your computer, or don't buy them.

UPDATE: It appears the program _is_ actually silently connecting to sonys server, unlike what Sony claimed. See last page.

Mystery Man · Nov 1, 2005

Yet another reason to use Linux...

Dog Moon · Nov 1, 2005

If it only works against those trying to pirate it, I have no problems with it. However, if it harms those who play the CD on their computer and do everything completely legally, then I would have a problem with it.

If it harms only those that attempt to misuse the CD illegally, then good for Sony. Screwing up their computers will teach most people a lesson, I hope, except for those determined to bypass the security measures, which someone undoubtedly will. Then Sony will create another way to protect their stuff, etc.

Agamon · Nov 1, 2005

The problem is, of course, like nearly all so-called solutions such as this, it doesn't really hinder the pirates, but it sure is a pain-in-the-backside for everyone else! Well done, Sony!

Psionicist · Nov 1, 2005

Dog_Moon2003 said:
If it only works against those trying to pirate it, I have no problems with it. However, if it harms those who play the CD on their computer and do everything completely legally, then I would have a problem with it.

"Trying to pirate it"? The last time I checked the act of "trying to pirate" something was to not buy the CD but to download the contents from the Internet.

This only hurts those who insert the physical CD in their computer, regardless if they are trying to copy it or not.

RangerWickett · Nov 1, 2005

One of my friends had this rather odd post on his live journal. It took me a while to figure out what the heck he was talking about:

So you've got a guy who buys a shotgun. He obtains proper registration for it. He goes hunting regularly. There is the possibility that someone will attack him in his garage, where he cleans his shotgun, or while he is hunting, and he will kill a man with it.

Now, it's illegal to saw off a shotgun. Sawed-off shotguns are unlicensed weapons, dangerous to the user when compared to their normal counterpart, not nearly so useful in hunting as when they aren't sawed off.

There's a fabulous invention, designed to recognize the harmonics of the sound of the shotgun being sawed. It is a great invention, because people who are sawing off their shotguns are meaning to get into some . It transmits and lets local authorities know that its gun is being made into an unlicensed weapon and thus that its owner is breaking the law.

There are a few problems, of course, as with any new invention. It's heavy, which makes the shotgun unwieldy. It has in a few cases misreported people, be it by recognizing a nearby loud sawing noise or by misinterpreting the sound of the firing shotgun itself.

The biggest problem, of course, is that those wishing to get into the kind of that would have them saw off the end of their shotgun probably also have the means to destroy the transmitter.

And there is legislation being considered of whether the device should be required with the purchase of a shotgun.

That hypothetical sums up pretty much all of the problems I have with the music industry right now. The lines of reasoning are different, but the problems themselves are identical.

IronWolf · Nov 1, 2005

Yeah, I agree these are pretty shady tactics. I read a bit about it last night on Slashdot...

Thornir Alekeg · Nov 1, 2005

Dog_Moon2003 said:
If it only works against those trying to pirate it, I have no problems with it. However, if it harms those who play the CD on their computer and do everything completely legally, then I would have a problem with it.

If it harms only those that attempt to misuse the CD illegally, then good for Sony. Screwing up their computers will teach most people a lesson, I hope, except for those determined to bypass the security measures, which someone undoubtedly will. Then Sony will create another way to protect their stuff, etc.

But it is perfectly legal to copy a CD to your computer, or burn another copy for your own personal use. Does this protection scheme know how I am going to use the CD? How would it? It most likely just shuts down my ability to make a legal copy.

I have two small kids who love music. Unfortunately they also have not learned the proper way to hold a CD, and their small hands sometimes drop them on the floor where they get scratched. After having a couple of favorite CDs become useless, I learned to rip copies of the CDs for the kids. I let them listen to the copies and if they get ruined, I just burn a new copy from the original. I hope Sony doesn't sell much music my kids like.

I've said it before - it is up to the consumers to stand up to the recording industry when it comes to these measures. Don't buy the music. If you can't own the latest CD from your favorite artist, will it really hurt you? It will really hurt the industry if everyone refuses to buy.

Henry · Nov 1, 2005

Psionicist, are you dead-certain as to the accuracy of the information? It sounds a little far-fetched, though not impossible.

OTOH, if anyone would want to bust Sony's chops, it should be MICROSOFT! Something that runs in safe mode, bypassing its purpose? They ought to be trying to sue on the basis of maliciously altering their code, because the number of tech support calls that would be forcibly escalated by a defective driver, thereby tying up their techs, would have an enormous cost to them associated.

Darth K'Trava · Nov 1, 2005

Psionicist said:
"Trying to pirate it"? The last time I checked the act of "trying to pirate" something was to not buy the CD but to download the contents from the Internet.

This only hurts those who insert the physical CD in their computer, regardless if they are trying to copy it or not.

It's bad enough when they put in their own crappy "player" that seems to want to crash it. I hate those. And sure don't want any <bleep>y program running on my comp that screws it up when it wants to...

*makes note not to buy Sony CDs*

There's a band out (30 Seconds To Mars) who allows you to make up to 3 copies of their disc and distribute them. They're a good band- check them out!