I don't normally bring up issues from other forums but.....

Scott F. · « **Reply #40 on:** 4 Nov 2005, 11:13 pm »

Quote from: DeadFish

Hell and damn and more of those sort of things I shouldn't type here!

I've had flu all week but followed this thread since it broke the news, and finally felt good enough to get out. Heard new Santana on Letterman last nite and I thought it was a really hot performance, so off to Best Buy, ranting at anyone who would listen to watch out for Sony.

M*-F*ing Arista is under Sony umbrella. Still too bleery to read the back of cd until my computer lit up with installation software.

OMG!

Well, it ou ...

Since Deadfish just got burnt, I thought I'd pay a visit to the Sony BMG website to see what labels they own. If I remember right, Sony started putting this malware on their CDs towards the beginning of this year (I think it was March.....I think...).

Heres a quick list of labels to watch out for.

Arista Records
BMG Classics
BMG Heritage
BMG International Companies
Columbia Records
Epic Records
J Records
Jive Records
LaFace Records
Legacy Recordings
Provident Music Group
RCA Records
RCA Victor Group
RLG - Nashville
Sony Classical
Sony Music International
Sony Music Nashville
Sony Wonder
Sony Urban Music
So So Def Records
Verity Records

Making a further assumption, I'd would think that they are adding the malware to any remasters (along with new releases) issued after early 2005.

I like the idea of groups starting their own labels and moving away from the big four. They should be entitled to more of the money than the record companies.

DeadFish · « **Reply #41 on:** 4 Nov 2005, 11:43 pm »

Thanks for the list Scott.

I don't know if what that album was trying to install is what we are worried about, but I sure wasn't happy. According to my 'puter, there are only 19.1 megs used on the cd....
I caught a short list of albums that were known to have this thing and the new Santana wasn't on it, but then the directory of the cd didn't have normal cd stuff on it. (I think it was hiding the actual music files.)Reading the enclosed EULA gave me the idea it did though.
What it did say was that there was going to be software residing on my computer capable of enhancing my experience with my legitimate cd, yada, yada, yada...

My impressions are that the list I picked offa links from a PCWorld article was way short though.

On another note, man, how many of us in the past bit into the BMG music club thing for a while. Now *there* is a big base of folks who ought to be making some noise eventually.

Let's call 'Geraldo' to go after them!

DF

jcrane · « **Reply #42 on:** 5 Nov 2005, 01:20 am »

Man this does suck, I just signed up at yourmusic.com and since it is just another front for BMG, I imagine all current realeases will have this software installed.
I never install any of the software that comes on media (DVD or CD) but can you opt out of installation and still use EAC to rip?
I am curious to find this out.

Jamie

John Ashman · « **Reply #43 on:** 5 Nov 2005, 01:49 am »

Like I need another reason to own Macs and to NOT buy any Sony products.

nathanm · « **Reply #44 on:** 5 Nov 2005, 07:25 pm »

If Sony is so concerned about piracy then they should stop releasing CDs period. Release everything on vinyl. Then people have to do a little legwork to make a copy. None of this set-'n-forget computer ripping crap, you have to sit there and listen to the whole damn side of the record in real time and stop the cassette tape on time so you can flip it over.

Oh sure people don't LIKE inconvenience anymore. Well boo hoo, how about providing some compeition for that damn Japanese laser vinyl player doodad? Christ, you expect people to spend 10 grand to not have to monkey with needles and tonearms? That technology needs to be made more mainstream. Then maybe we can have 12" album covers again.

Scott F. · « **Reply #45 on:** 6 Nov 2005, 04:24 pm »

DRM Update

It looks as if a law firm out of California (Green Welling LLP) has taken up the fight against Sony and their DRM malware.

Look under the Consumer Protection section of the front page.
http://www.classcounsel.com/

Hey Deadfish, you should send them an email since you are infected.

It also looks as if Mark Russinovich posted another follow up to his first post exposing the Sony DRM malware. You should read some of teh comments below his blog. One of tehm is a link to an NPR interview with a Sony exec regarding this issue. His comments might suprize you.

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/more-on-sony-dangerous-decloaking.html

Oh, just in case you were wondering, this malware IS NOT passive. It reports back to Sony and keeps the connection open full time. I can only imagine hacks worldwide are scheming as I type trying to come up with a program that will ride on the backbone of this malware. Once they figure that out, next step is to extract your info, that or deliver some new virus that will likely trash your infected machines.

nai02fungoid · « **Reply #46 on:** 11 Nov 2005, 09:52 pm »

This is from today's Silicon Valley newsletter. Worth reading to see what Sony is doing:

And we would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids
By JOHN PACZKOWSKI

After a 10-day shock-and-awe bombardment of bad publicity, a dazed Sony emerged from its bunker today and announced a retreat on the copy-protection front (see "Sony reconsiders policy on hiring 'reformed' hackers," "Sony DRM: You can look but you can't touch," "Sorry about those secret files; what we meant to install were these secret files," "Quoted," and "Find out who programmed the rootkit DRM and send Qrio to kill him"). The company said it would suspend its use on music CDs of a Digital Rights Management technology that behaved like malware and opened a nasty security vulnerability. As it staggered from the field, Sony yelled something over its shoulder about its right to fight piracy, but if there was any apology or promise of better behavior, it was lost in the sound of the wind.
Oh, and you Mac users chortling over on the sidelines -- apparently Sony is platform agnostic when it comes to annoying its customers. Writing in MacInTouch, Darren Dittrich says, "I recently purchased Imogen Heap's new CD (Speak for Yourself), an RCA Victor release, but with distribution credited to Sony/BMG. Reading recent reports of a Sony rootkit, I decided to poke around. In addition to the standard volume for AIFF files, there's a smaller extra partition for 'enhanced' content. I was surprised to find a 'Start.app' Mac application in addition to the expected Windows-related files. Running this app brings up a long legal agreement, clicking Continue prompts you for your username/password (uh-oh!), and then promptly exits. Digging around a bit, I find that Start.app actually installs 2 files: PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext. Personally, I'm not a big fan of anyone installing kernel extensions on my Mac. In Sony's defense, upon closer reading of the EULA, they essentially tell you that they will be installing software. Also, this is apparently not the same technology used in the recent Windows rootkits (made by XCP), but rather a DRM codebase developed by SunnComm, who promotes their Mac-aware DRM technology on their site." (Thanks, Markle)
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nai02fungoid · « **Reply #47 on:** 12 Nov 2005, 03:37 pm »

Sony to shelve CD piracy guard

By Ted Bridis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 12, 2005

The world's second-largest music label, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, promised yesterday to temporarily suspend making music CDs with anti-piracy technology that can leave computers vulnerable to hackers.
Sony, stung by continuing criticism, defended its right to prevent customers from illegally copying music but said it will halt manufacturing CDs with the "XCP" technology as a precautionary measure.
"We also intend to re-examine all aspects of our content protection initiative to be sure that it continues to meet our goals of security and ease of consumer use," the company stated.
The anti-piracy technology, which works only on Windows computers, prevents customers from making more than a few copies of the CD and prevents them from loading the CD's songs onto Apple Computer's popular IPod portable music players. Some other music players, which recognize Microsoft's proprietary music format, would work.
Sony's announcement came one day after leading security companies disclosed that hackers were distributing malicious programs over the Internet that exploited the anti-piracy technology's ability to avoid detection. Hackers discovered they can effectively render their programs invisible by using names for computer files similar to ones cloaked by the Sony technology.
A senior Homeland Security official cautioned entertainment companies against discouraging piracy in ways that also make computers vulnerable. Stewart Baker, assistant secretary for policy at DHS, did not cite Sony by name in his remarks Thursday but described industry efforts to install hidden files on consumers' computers.
"It's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property, it's not your computer," Mr. Baker said at a trade conference on piracy. "And in the pursuit of protection of intellectual property, it's important not to defeat or undermine the security measures that people need to adopt in these days."
Sony's program is included on about 20 popular music titles, including releases by Van Zant and The Bad Plus.
"This is a step they should have taken immediately," said Mark Russinovich, chief software architect at Winternals Software who discovered the hidden copy-protection technology Oct. 31 and posted his findings on his Web log. He said Sony did not admit any wrongdoing, nor did it promise not to use similar techniques in the future.
Security researchers have described Sony's technology as "spyware," saying it is difficult to remove and transmits without warning details about what music is playing, and that Sony's notice to consumers about the technology was inadequate. Sony executives have rejected the spyware description.
Some leading anti-virus companies updated their protective software this week to detect Sony's anti-piracy program, disable it and prevent it from reinstalling.
After Mr. Russinovich criticized Sony, it made available a software patch that removed the technology's ability to avoid detection. It also made more broadly available its instructions on how to remove the software permanently. Customers who remove the software are unable to listen to the music CD on their computer.

nai02fungoid · « **Reply #48 on:** 17 Nov 2005, 08:18 pm »

More stuff from today's Silicon Valley newsletter on Sony:

Let's see -- Secret installation? Check. Hidden changes? Check. Security breach? Check. Dangerous uninstall? Check. Now what was ... oh, yeah. Stolen code? Check. Looks like Sony's little sojourn to the ninth circle of PR hell isn't quite over yet. A pair of programmers who disassembled Sony's now infamous rootkit Digital Rights Management scheme, have found code that appears to have been plagiarized from VideoLAN, an open source media player distributed under the GNU General Public License. Worse, the code in question was written by "DVD" Jon Lech Johansen, author of a number of DRM-busting programs.

My God, what a fiasco. Of course Sony is sure to disavow prior knowledge, claiming it merely licensed the rootkit DRM scheme from the company that developed it, First 4 Internet. But though it may try to stay at arm's length, it won't escape unscathed from this continuing nightmare of bad publicity (see "Sony reconsiders policy on hiring 'reformed' hackers," "Sony DRM: You can look but you can't touch," "Sorry about those secret files; what we meant to install were these secret files," "Quoted," "Find out who programmed the rootkit DRM and send Qrio to kill him," "Rootkits -- serves those Windows losers ri ... hey, what the ...?," "And we would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids" and "Sony inducted into FUBAR Hall of Fame").
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-Richard- · « **Reply #49 on:** 19 Nov 2005, 04:02 am »

Hi Scott F.,

I would like to thank you for your inspired and incredibly important information
about Sony's clandestine attempt to crawl into our computer lives undetected...

2 years ago I wrote several times in Audio Circle that SACD was just an attempt
to push a CD format on us that cannot be copied...and no one looked at what
I said seriously...

CD's are priced as high as DVD 20 million dollar movies...an outrage!!!!!

And now this...

Let's get creative...let's find a way to deconstruct these megalithic corporations...
I am advocating simply being aware of their practices and being careful
what we buy...I have always been a tremendous advocate of cottage industry
audio...I really like the small shop...Red Wine Audio and Omega Speakers
are 2 wonderful companies run by extraordinarily dedicated gentleman that
are a pleasure to work with...Vinnie and Louis are gems...they have and will
get my money...Sony can go to hell!!!!!

These megalithic corporations are destroying the earth...they engage in unfair
working practices and conditions...they purposely destabilize many third world
countries natural economies...and in America, they do not pay taxes, using off-shore
and out-of-country strategies to avoid their responsibilities...they are little feudal
kingdoms onto themselves beyond the reach of our governments laws that concerned
citizens worked so hard to implement in order to protect us from their treachery...

Let's wake up and take the wind out of their sails...that is...sales!!!!!!!!!!

Warm regards -Richard-

ohenry · « **Reply #50 on:** 21 Nov 2005, 08:33 pm »

Looks like the State of Texas is after Sony/BMG for their deceiptful practices.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/tech/computer_security

Oh how the mighty have fallen...

nathanm · « **Reply #51 on:** 21 Nov 2005, 08:51 pm »

And not only that but Sony executives have a secret volcano lair on Blood Island where they drop music pirates into shark tanks and kill people with giant lasers! It's bad, all bad...

zako · « **Reply #52 on:** 24 Nov 2005, 12:53 am »

AW...come on guys ...Its not likely Sony BMG is going to come Knocking on your door late one night & want to eat your children.

nai02fungoid · « **Reply #53 on:** 29 Nov 2005, 08:42 pm »

This is from the Silicon Valley blog today:

All I said was "Elliot Spitzer on Line 1," and he went straight for the ceremonial dagger: You know you're in for a bad day when Eliot Spitzer starts issuing statements about your company. Which is precisely the situation Sony finds itself in today. The New York Attorney General has finally caught wind of the company's digital rights management misstep and has begun looking into it. BusinessWeek reports that Spitzer's office dispatched investigators, who, posing as customers, were able to purchase affected CDs in New York music retail outlets long after Sony BMG recalled the disks. That didn't sit well with Spitzer, who promptly issued a statement warning consumers and retailers away from the disks. "It is unacceptable that more than three weeks after this serious vulnerability was revealed, these same CDs are still on shelves, during the busiest shopping days of the year," Spitzer said. "I strongly urge all retailers to heed the warnings issued about these products, pull them from distribution immediately, and ship them back to Sony."

(For background on this story see "Sony reconsiders policy on hiring 'reformed' hackers," "Sony DRM: You can look but you can't touch," "Sorry about those secret files; what we meant to install were these secret files," "Quoted," "Find out who programmed the rootkit DRM and send Qrio to kill him," "Rootkits -- serves those Windows losers ri ... hey, what the ...?," "And we would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids," "Sony inducted into FUBAR Hall of Fame," "Let's see -- Secret installation? Check. Hidden changes? Check. Security breach? Check. Dangerous uninstall? Check. Now what was ... oh, yeah. Stolen code? Check" , "Sony seeks treatment for severe chronic pain" and "BMG? That stands for "Big Mistake, Guys," right?" ).
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nathanm · « **Reply #54 on:** 29 Nov 2005, 10:57 pm »

Oh gee, some powermad lawyer is concerned with my well being! Thank you attorney general, thanks for your helpful shopping tips! You a truly a politician who cares. I don't know what I would do without your help. Cripes, otherwise I might have to hold down the SHIFT key before playing that CD in my computer! Or even worse, I might have to READ the warnings plastered all over the outside of the CD cluing me in that something's up. The horror! Ahh! A serious vulnerability!

WAAAH! Golly, it will be SO much better when Sony is forced to cough up millions of dollars in lawsuits. That will surely be beneficial for everyone!

nai02fungoid · « **Reply #55 on:** 29 Nov 2005, 11:52 pm »

My God, a person might think you don't think too much of AG Spitzer. Glad to see the club consists of more than me.

While I am not sad to see Sony sued, I would rather it were almost anyone other than Elliott Baby doing the suing.

kfr01 · « **Reply #56 on:** 30 Nov 2005, 12:28 am »

Sony deserves whatever they get, imo.

It isn't us (the people who know how to hold down shift) that get hurt. It is the average customer that doesn't know any better.

The warnings on the cd are not conspicuous enough and do not disclose the nature of the rootkit software.

Yes, Sony can burn for all I care-I don't mind one bit that Mr. Spitzer, with all his political aspirations, throws another match.

-Richard- · « **Reply #57 on:** 30 Nov 2005, 01:18 am »

I believe you need to look much deeper Zaco at the reality of how monolithic
corporations like Sony actually affect our life...your life and mine...and everyone
else's...

One is besogged by the highly conditioned agenda's of the new feudal overlords...
the corporations that remain for the most part outside of our ability to control them...
that shape our reality in ways the can be seen and ways that remain hidden to
us by our complacency, our much too high tolerance of their clandestine intrigues
and our weakened capacity to sustain our probing into what is really going on
around us...

We must stay informed and alert...and not fall prey to the will eroding smugness
that only empowers corporations like Sony the more...

Warm Regards -Richard-

zako · « **Reply #58 on:** 30 Nov 2005, 03:25 pm »

Sony doesnt effect my life....It effects yours. You think Sony,s Bad? You hav,nt seen anything yet.

ohenry · « **Reply #59 on:** 30 Nov 2005, 04:06 pm »

The same folks minimizing Sony's misdeed probably employ spam filters, pop-up blockers and virus protection. At least when a person gets pop-upped, spammed or infected it's free... they didn't pay to get screwed over as when they purchased the Sony/BMG product.