Sony: Copy-Protection terrorists

[GA Russell]

Users were vulnerable to this loophole even if they did not install the copy protection system on the music CD on their home computer.

Sounds dangerous!

[Claude]

On Windows PCs, if you deactivate the autorun feature for data CDs, which starts installation programs automatically, you're on the safe side (as long as you don't start the installation yourself by clicking on the exe file).

You will have to install TweakUI to change that setting:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/tweakui

After you installed it, go to Start --> Settings --> Control panel --> TweakUI --> Paranoia and deactivate "play data CDs automatically".

You can leave "play audio CDs automatically" on if you like, as this will not start any software from the CD but start the CD player installed on your PC when inserting an audio CD.

Edited December 9, 2005 by Claude

[ornette]

Does any body know if the exchange programme is open to non-USA purchasers? The address form on the Sony web site assumes you live in the USA - you have to nominate a state.

[ornette]

Answering my own question - it (the replacement scheme) is only available in the USA and Canada. They will exchange to non-USA purchasers but only if you post to them, at your cost.

Edited January 11, 2006 by ornette

[Claude]

Where did you get those XCP CDs? I think they were not distributed in Europe.

[Claude]

Where did you get those XCP CDs? I think they were not distributed in Europe.

If you bought them as imports in a european store, I am sure it will take them back, because these are not only flawed but also dangerous products (if you play them on a PC).

[ornette]

Purchased from caiman.com via Amazon UK

They will take them back - but I have to pay postage to New York.

From their email

'The consumer exchange program we have established is available only for consumers who live in the United States and Canada. If you live outside North America and have a CD that contains XCP software, we encourage you to take advantage of the software update or uninstall programs available on our website'

'If you would nevertheless like to receive a copy of your CD without the XCP software, you may mail your disc to us at the following address and we will return a replacement copy without content protection to you:

Sony BMG Content Protection Team

Sony BMG Music Entertainment

555 Madison Avenue, Room 10-75

New York, NY 10022 U.S.A.'

[tatifan]

I think I figured out why the program didn't auto-install on my Windows PC, finally. I have the "AnyDVD" program installed on my computer, which allows dvds of any region to play on the computer.....among other things It also tries to identify any disc that is inserted into the computer (audio cd, data disc, etc.). A few times a disc ends up not even showing up in the "My Computer" drive letter area, when AnyDVD doesn't recognize them at all.....this is what happened when I put one of those evil Sony things in my machine a few months ago. In such cases you have to turn off AnyDVD to get the machine to recognize the disc......which thankfully I did NOT do!

Just thought some with this setup might like to know.

[Claude]

Mark Russinovich, the guy who discovered the Sony rootkit, will no longer make public Windows security flaws, because he's now working for Microsoft:

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2006/07/o...-microsoft.html

http://slashdot.org/articles/06/07/18/1545258.shtml

Edited July 18, 2006 by Claude