Sony bmg copy protection system comes to europe business. Sony bmg is facing three lawsuits over its controversial antipiracy software. About two million of those cds, spanning 52 titles, contained first 4 internet f4is. However, consumer advocates are worried because of a firestorm which has erupted in the united states over sony bmgs copy protection software there. New york reuters sony bmg music entertainment, the worlds second largest music company, will this month become the last of the big four majors to drop copy protection software on music. Sony bmg, yielding to consumer concern, said on wednesday nov. By midnovember 2005, less than two weeks after the first reports that the sony bmg copyprotection software used rootkitstyle technologies, trojan horses using the sony code to hide from. New york a federal judge on monday granted final approval of a settlement between sony bmg music entertainment and consumers who filed a class action lawsuit over copyprotection software. Sony bmg to introduce copy protection cds smarthouse. For those of you who are fuzzy on the details, sony bmg secretly included extended copy protection xcp and mediamax cd3 software on. Xcp first came to prominence when it was used to protect audio cds released by sony bmg music entertainment. The company had already ceased to manufacture the cds that included the troublesome technology, known as extended copy protection xcp software, created by u.
The writeup by shaogo is an excellent discussion of the litigation part, but i feel the need to explain some of the technical aspects of the whole snafu, mainly what actually happens to your computer when stick one of these evil things in it in 2005, sony bmg purchased a software package called xcpaurora from a company called, at the time, first 4 internet. It followed major scandals for implementation of deceptive, illegal, and harmful copy protection measures on about 23 million cds. Sony bmg included the extended copy protection xcp and mediamax cd 3 software on music cds. Summary of claims against sonybmg electronic frontier. When sony bmg hid a rootkit on their cds, they spied on you and let hackers into your computer. Amsterdam microsoft said it would remove controversial copyprotection software that cds from music publisher sony bmg install on personal computers, deeming it a security risk to pcs running. Sony bmg included the dangerous software on millions of music cds as part of a misguided attempt to restrict consumer usage. Sony bmg has tentatively settled at least 15 consumer class actions brought against the music company over its use of copyprotection software on cds.
Federal trade commission ftc related to the companys inclusion of problematic copyprotection software in. The software included a music player but silently installed a rootkit which limited the users ability to access the cd. Sony bmg to settle one copy protection classaction lawsuit. Revealed in late october by windows expert mark russinovich, the software copy protection system hides using viruslike techniques. The sony bmg scandal unfolded in late 2005 after the company now sony music entertainment secretly installed extended copy protection xcp and mediamax cd3 software on millions of music discs. Sony bmg test sterile burning copy protection afterdawn. The sony copyprotection software does not install itself on macintosh computers or ordinary cd and dvd players. The two pieces of copyprotection software at issue in the 20052007 scandal were included on over 22 million cds marketed by sony bmg, the record company formed by the 2004 merger of sony and bmgs recorded music divisions. When inserted into a computer, the cds installed one of two pieces of software which provided a. Sony bmg recalling cds with flawed copyprotection software. European promotional copies of michael jacksons 2001 single you rock my world were also released with copyprotection. Bbc news technology sony sued over copyprotected cds. Sony bmg copy protection rootkit scandal wikipedia.
Music giant sony bmg filed suit against the amergence group formerly sunncomm international this week, claiming that a version of the companys mediamax copy protection software, which shipped on more than 6 million cds, was defective and caused harm to its consumers. This concept is known as sterile burning and according to sony bmg, it is vital for their battle against casual cd burning. By using this copy protection feature, sony hoped to maximize on the profits by using this method because if one wanted the cds the only way to get them was to actually buy them as one would not be able to copy or try to get duplicate of the cds or even try to download the content from a. In 2001 the other provider of sony copy protection software, sunncomm, was involved in a lawsuit that alleged that the companys software, which. The copyprotection software, called xcp, was bought by sony bmg from a british company, first 4 internet, and was installed on 52 recordings, totaling nearly. Sony bmg is replacing a patch for its mediamax cd copy protection software after a security flaw is discovered. Sony, others may have settlement in xcp software fight. Copy protection xcp and mediamax cd3 software on millions of. When inserted into a computer, the cds installed one of two pieces of software which provided a form of digital rights management by modifying the. Among the cds that it has been selling in 2005, however, are millions that include copyprotection software. Once hidden, the copyprotection software is invisible to antivirus programs, too. A scandal erupted in 2005 regarding sony bmgs implementation of copy protection measures on about 22 million cds.
Sony bmg music entertainments fight over its xcp copy protection software shifted to the courts monday as texas attorney general greg abbott and lawyers from the electronic frontier foundation. After pushing sony bmg to take the cds off the market, eff filed and subsequently settled a class. Pcb writes i found the following on bmgentertainment started selling audiocds using the cactus data shield, a copyprotection system developed by midbar and sonopress which makes it impossible to grab the music from the cd and to listen to it using an old cdplayer or a cdromdri. Sony bmg copy protection rootkit scandal wikivisually. Sony bmg filed a summons in a new york state court against amergence group inc. Sony bmg copy protection was the copy protection for sony bmg musics. Sony bmg is testing cds featuring technology from uk antipiracy specialist first4internet, that allows customers to only make a limit number of copies of the cd and doesnt allow copied cds to be copied again. Microsoft will update its windows security tools to remove part of the copy protection tools installed on sony bmg music entertainment cds. Music giant sony bmg plans on introducing its controversial copy protection software in europe, even though consumers and computer security experts say the antipiracy software in the us is spyware.
Sony bmg music entertainment is hoping to put behind it some of the heat caused by security flaws in the controversial copyprotection software the vendor was shipping on some of its cds. Extended copy protection xcp is a software package developed by the british company first. Sony bmg secretly included extended copy protection xcp and mediamax cd3 software on millions of music cds from artists such as celine dion, neal. When inserted into a computer, the cds installed one of two pieces of software which provided a form of drm by modifying the operating system to interfere with. Lawyers working the classaction lawsuit against sony bmg music filed a proposed settlement with a federal court. Eff held sony bmg accountable for infecting its customers computers with software that created grave security vulnerabilities and let the company spy on listening behavior. Sony bmg music entertainment announced plans on wednesday to pull from store shelves nearly 2. Furthermore, since files run only in the drive they are prepared for, you have zero risks of data leaking from one place to another.
Hidden copy protection software that installs on windows pcs when playing music cds from sony bmgs label has computer users up in arms. I think i might sue them because they say, bmg attaches great importance to assuring that the copy protection used does not lead to restrictions for consumers with respect to listening pleasure. To make matters worse, hackers have created a virus that. In 2005, sony bmg published cds with copy protection and digital rights management software called extended copy protection, created by software company first 4 internet. Sony bmg litigation info electronic frontier foundation. About two million of those cds, spanning 52 titles, contained first 4 internet f4is extended copy protection xcp, which was installed on microsoft windows systems after the user accepted the eula which made no mention of the software. A first wave of malicious software written to piggyback on sony bmg music entertainment cd copy protection tools has been spotted online, computer security companies said. Sony bmg music entertainment, the worlds second largest music company, will this month become the last of the big four majors to drop copy protection software on. Sony bmg to drop copy protection for music downloads reuters. Sony bmg music entertainment music has agreed to settle charges with the u.
Extended copy protection xcp is a software package developed by the british company first 4 internet which on 20 november 2006, changed its name to fortium technologies ltd and sold as a copy protection or digital rights management drm scheme for compact discs. Sony bmg to drop copy protection for downloads reuters. Sony and microsoft in dispute over copy protection software. Sony bmgs copyprotecting watchdog the new york times.
Researchers at princeton university disclosed yesterday that early versions of the uninstall process published by sony bmg on its web site, which was designed to help users remove the copy. It was used on some cds distributed by sony bmg and sparked the 2005 sony bmg cd copy protection scandal. Youve discovered redguides an everquest multiboxing community we want you to play several eq characters at once, come join us and say hello. Sony bmg copy protection backfires the mac observer. Unfortunately, i cant rip it to my computer and listen to on my ipod because of bmgs copy control drm software. A warning pops up on computer screen about sony bmg rootkit on music. In the united states and germany, sony used copy protection on n syncs 2001 album celebrity.
Last year, sony bmg released cds carrying copy protection software called xcp written by u. Bmg and sony both released copyprotected versions of certain releases in certain markets in late 2001, and a. Once copy protect converts your media files into executable applications, they can run without the need of any software on the other hand, minimizing the chances of unavailability. Cds recalled for posing risk to pcs the new york times.
One classaction lawsuit has already been filed in california and another is. Business computers and office automation compact discs computer software industry consumer electronics industry software software industry systems and data security software. The revelations had sony bmg reversing course on its copy protected cds. Microsoft treating sony bmg rootkit as malicious software. When inserted into a computer, the cds installed one of two pieces of software which provided a form of digital rights management drm by modifying the operating system to interfere with cd copying. Sony has been using first 4s xcp extended copy protection software since early 2005 as a copy protection mechanism for some of its music cds, according to sony spokesperson john mckay. Sony bmg plans to introduce copy protection on cds it sells in australia. Sony bmgs copyprotection problems grow robert lemos, securityfocus 20051116. When the cd is played on a windows personal computer, the software first installs itself and then limits the usage rights of a consumer. The sony bmg cd copy protection rootkit scandal of 20052007 concerns deceptive, illegal, and potentially harmful copy protection measures implemented by sony bmg on about 22 million cds. The sony bmg cd copy prevention scandal concerns the copy prevention measures included by sony bmg on compact discs in 2005. The xcp software is included on a limited number of sony bmg contentprotected titles, it said. The casual piracy, the schoolyard piracy, is a huge. Sony bmg is the worlds second largest music company, responsible for approximately onequarter of all album sales in the united states.