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Sony/BMG Release DRM Un-Installer
Only thirty-eight days after brouhaha began
Just thirty-eight days after it came to the public's attention, Sony/BMG have released a functional un-installer (one that won't leave your system open to additional security threats). As Boing Boing notes, Sony/BMG really knew about the problem 28 days before it went public, so this un-installer is really 66 days in the making. Of course as mentioned earlier, they've run into trouble with another DRM scheme they support.
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Glaice
Brutal Video Vault
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY

Glaice

Premium Member

I wonder

If this actually works without all the hoops the old one has?

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: I wonder

I personally like that they insist that you "patch" your system with a non-FUBAR DRM. You can certainly remove it alltogether, but then you're left with a useless frisbee, unless you install their crapware.

Jee, thanks Sony.

Fatal Vector
join:2005-11-26

Fatal Vector

Member

Re: I wonder


You take the "Frisbee" back to the store and get one without XCP. That's easy enough.
B04
Premium Member
join:2000-10-28

B04

Premium Member

Waiting for Russinovitch...

Of course, no one should go NEAR that thing until Uncle Mark says it's okay...

Watch »www.sysinternals.com/Blog/ and wait.

-- B

fegul
Premium Member
join:2004-08-23
united state

fegul

Premium Member

Woke up, did you?

I guess the lawsuit was enough to shake them up. One thing is for sure, Sony just lost my trust. Its a shame since I liked their products

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Damage to Sony reputation already done

Nothing Sony can do now will rehabilitate their damaged reputation. This DRM gaffe will cost them a lot of money over the next several months and maybe even longer if you can believe those who claim they will avoid SONY products forever(which I don't - people have short memories).
Stumbles
join:2002-12-17
Port Saint Lucie, FL

Stumbles

Member

Re: Damage to Sony reputation already done

Oh, I'd say they *could* rehabilitate their image..... but IMO..... it will take a very, very long time *and* swear off DRM.

As a cherry on top. They should denounce the RIAA/MPAA as the jackboot thugs they are and establish a DRMaholics program (AAA equivalent) for those idiots that believe all non-customers *and* customers by default are crooks and thieves. As a gesture of um, goodwill. I think everyone here should assist Sony with the development of those 10 vital steps.

That to me would help them restore some level of trust... but not all.
Python7
join:2005-12-03
Vidalia, GA

Python7

Member

Re: Damage to Sony reputation already done

It's AA or NA and it is 12 Steps, Not 10.

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

What good is it...

From Sony/BMG
quote:
if you wish to play a CD protected with XCP it will be necessary to reinstall the XCP software in accordance with that CD's End User License Agreement after you insert the disc into your computer.
Now if I have all this info right and please correct me if I am wrong but you have to reintroduce the root kit to play the cds that were supposed to be pulled from stores?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: What good is it...

said by Grail Knight:

Now if I have all this info right and please correct me if I am wrong but you have to reintroduce the root kit to play the cds that were supposed to be pulled from stores?
Who would do that? They are offering a non-DRM'd replacement CD or a refund for anyone who wants it.

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

Re: What good is it...

Evidently they think some would do it.

Did you read their whole EULA for the tool or gloss over it?
B04
Premium Member
join:2000-10-28

B04

Premium Member

Re: What good is it...

Good catch there. It seems they haven't backed down AT ALL about their rootkit DRM's legitimacy. They're simply offering another purportedly effective way to remove "the component getting public attention"!

That page reads as if the XCP rootkit CDs are perfectly legitimate and will continue to be sold and supported...?

-- B

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

Re: What good is it...

Thanks.

That is what I got out of it also.
radarman7
join:2005-06-01
Odenton, MD

1 recommendation

radarman7 to Grail Knight

Member

to Grail Knight
First, I probably won't be buying anymore Sony CD's on principle - and then, only if there is no alternative (Sony does carry a very large classical collection)

If it does have this crap on it, I will simply use an intelligent ripper to create a new, safe, CD-R for use anywhere. I don't pirate music, and I don't supply it to others - so I'll be damned if I'm going to tolerate being treated like a criminal for having the audacity to *buy* a product.

The real crime is that this all mess takes space that could have been used for actual music. I suspect they could include at least one, perhaps two, standard PCM streams in the space they wasted on the DRM crippled versions.
averagedude
join:2002-01-30
San Diego, CA

averagedude

Member

Re: What good is it...

said by radarman7:

...- so I'll be damned if I'm going to tolerate being treated like a criminal for having the audacity to *buy* a product.
Exactly!

iotastorm
@sbc.com

iotastorm to radarman7

Anon

to radarman7
Well if you really want to dent a corporation, you don't just boycott only the "CD department"(in this case). You really HAVE to boycott it all. If you don't the other departments 'shoulder the burden' of keeping the CD department up and floating until it blows over. Hence nothing happens.
If you could get 10% of the Sony consumers to call/write stating that we will not buy/support any/Sony product for a period of 2 years and really follow up and tell their friends not to, after a quarter or two, the profits/sales drops and they may pay attention.
Getting the people to stand up and do this is the big factor.

SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX

SRFireside

Member

Re: What good is it...

It doesn't work that way Sony Music/BMG is a totally different company than all of the other Sony companies. In other words not buying that Walkman or Playstation isn't going to affect Sony Music. Not watching that Sony Pictures movie will only hurt the movie house, which it totally separate from the rest. If Sony Music flounders and dies the other Sony companies will move forward as if nothing happened because their business (and revenue) have nothing to do with them.

As a matter of fact Sony Electronics was on the other opposite side of Sony Music a couple years ago when the RIAA was trying to legislate hardware DRM on music players and computer hardware. Sony Electronics fought along with Intel, Samsung and others against the move.

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight to iotastorm

Premium Member

to iotastorm
Your idea unregistered user does not hold up.

Hypothetically ff Company A makes the best heart replacements available yet as a subsidiary sells music cds with rootkits and I find myself in need of a new heart it is doubtful I will go with Company B's lesser quality heart replacement whom also does not sell music.

In other words I would not boycott Company A just because their music ventures are less then perfect just for the sake of proving some go nowhere point.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

Hony

Sony DRMRootkit hosed my brother's PC system. Some female-brit pop star CD caused it (on the list..).

He had to wipe the entire system. The uninstaller kept freezing.

Makes me wonder not only is Sony a terrible company, but the AV companies that did nothing to advise/remove this as they feared DCMA lawsuits from Sony/BMG.

Is it me or are the software/hardware industries getting too big for their egos? at the consumer (see sheeple) expense.

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight

Premium Member

Re: Hony

Actually not all of Sony is a horrible company just their music ventures. My Sony SW Radio is top notch as is most of their radio equipment.

Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium Member
join:2002-12-17
Wasilla, AK

Boogeyman

Premium Member

Re: Hony

I agree. Sony Music is under seperate management than say, SCEA. Just because the part of Sony that governs the music screwed up is no reason to boycot all of Sony products. That would be like if suddenly Austin Martin cars started blowing up, would you quit buying Ford just because they own AM? Or if Matsushita did somehting stupid, would you quit buying Panasonic products?

It just kind of bothers me when someone says thier going to boycott something just because one part of the company screwed up.

GilbertMark
Premium Member
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ

GilbertMark

Premium Member

hmm

Sony will just create some subsidiary to market all their CDs under to change the name you see on the case. Most people are too unaware of what company is owned by what other and will continue to buy CDs.

Dr Demento
I Vant Blud
join:2002-01-02
Denville, NJ

1 edit

Dr Demento

Member

Re: hmm

The same record label that mails colleges sample CDs which once you open, you are obliged to pay for. I wonder if they have any DRM malware on them?
LockJaw02
join:2004-04-13
San Jose, CA

LockJaw02

Member

Re: hmm

Whats This? Link please I haven't seen this yet, and I'm in college.
dentman42
Premium Member
join:2001-10-02
Columbus, OH

dentman42 to Dr Demento

Premium Member

to Dr Demento
said by Dr Demento:

The same record label that mails colleges sample CDs which once you open, you are obliged to pay for. I wonder if they have any DRM malware on them?
If you didn't order it, it's a free gift, you don't have to pay for it.

Dr Demento
I Vant Blud
join:2002-01-02
Denville, NJ

Dr Demento

Member

Re: hmm

If I recall the catch 22 actually states that you pay a "subscription fee" for two other albums once the package is opened

Grail Knight

Premium Member
join:2003-05-31
Valhalla

Grail Knight to GilbertMark

Premium Member

to GilbertMark
And those "most people are too unaware" are the same ones that do not know what security and malware is on a computer.

Any company created will still be known to those that care.

It is a perpetual cycle yet I stand by my example of my Sony SW Radios being top of the line and will far outlast anything else made in that same type/price range.
KyeU
join:2003-12-31
Canada

KyeU

Member

...

I have no trust in this uninstaller.

I see it in the same regards I see WhenU's uninstaller, or Gators' or Bonzi Buddys'.

PhishyBongwaters
@86.xx.133.wshs.cgi.c

PhishyBongwaters

Anon

Re: ...

Really, when I stop and look at this situation I come to a question, rather than a conclusion.

Who is sony trying to monitor/enforce with this drm?

Anyone getting music ilegally, or legally if you are canadian, via P2P doesn't have to worry, their mp3's are safe.

Anyone that has any computer knowledge can quickly work around the DRM.

Who does that leave? The consumers who legally purchased their CD and have no intentions of trying to pirate it, that's who.

Its the same damn thing as the patriot acti, in my opinion. Laws are passed to protect the innocent by monitoring the criminals, but case after case we see the laws are being used to monitor and track the innocent.

Shame on Sony for going to this, and shame on all the other companies using this technology.

And the scareist thing is the EULA, read it! Go to eff.org and read it there. IT IS INSANE!

It is legal for you to make a backup copy of your purchased cd. But since it has drm, you have to bypass the drm to get your fair use. Bypassing the DRM is illegal, therefore, for you to legally do what you want, you have to break the law.

INSANE!

Keep reading, it gets better. You may only keep digital copies if you still have the disc. If you get robbed, or your house burns down, you have to DESTROY ALL DIGITAL COPIES!

This is madness!!!