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Sony BMG sued by Texas
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The following comments relate to this news article:
article published on 21 November, 2005
The backlash from the tactics used to cloak files on a copy protection technology used by Sony BMG on some CD albums continues with a lawsuit filed against the company by the state of Texas. It alleges that Sony BMG used "spyware software" to enforce limitations on how the disc can be used by a consumer. The software in question, XCP, was developed by UK-based First4Internet and is included ... [ read the full article ]
Please read the original article before posting your comments.
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myndphuk
Junior Member
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21. November 2005 @ 20:10 |
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haha! sucked in sony!
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Ludikhris
Suspended permanently
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21. November 2005 @ 22:21 |
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Sony... please.... stop kicking yourself in the nuts. The problem with Sony as a company is very simple. They do not wish to respond to the needs and wants of the consumer. They believe that marketing research and business practices can ultimatly tell you what a consumer does and doesn't want. Therefore when it comes time to release products they TELL the customer what they are supposed to have. They are now paying for being arrogant. Look at the recent history of Sony's products, with many of them they are in a losing game. EQ2 lost to WoW, PS3 will lose ground to XBOX360 (but most likely remain leader), their electronics sales are down, they refuse in almost all cases to settle a case (remember the PS2 controller thing?), and the hidden files in peoples PCs, anyone remember ATRAC format? That is a great example, all MP3 players played just that, MP3s. Sony came out with a whole line that played nothing but ATRAC in order to push their format. Dude, you are so dumb. If everyone wants MP3s, GIVE THEM MP3s. Now we have Apple and Sony decided to wait to wake up until the PSP. But now the PSP has been late getting good games so the DS is kicking its ass. The consumer is begining to get really loud for them. They are voting through buyer power, and they are begining to vote against Sony. How many times must you be told that you are not the giant you think you are? Wake up, you're losing customers.
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Whisperer
Senior Member
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21. November 2005 @ 23:56 |
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Consumer Boycott:
Prosecution + Boycott = Legal Revenge. And I want made public the names of the "team of suits", bottom to top, who executed this abomination.
Boycott Sony's
Hardware, Software, Peripherals, Games, Play Station, Home Entertainment Equiptment, Headphones, Accessories, CD's, DVD's, Movie Theatre releases, TV Shows, Recordable VHS Tape, DVD Recordable Disk Media .........
Who can add more?
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Ghostdog
Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 00:08 |
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Not happening - not with me anyway.
But, I won´t buy any XCP-protected CD´s - that I can agree to do.
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Whisperer
Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 00:39 |
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Forgot Blu-ray!
That would teach them a lesson. Go HD-DVD instead.
Buy the players that will play both if you're in trepidation, not ones that will play only Blu-ray. Purchase only HD-DVD movie releases.
But only Rent the Blu-ray releases that you can't get in HD-DVD format. That way Sony doesn't get your money. This forces the Production Studios to support HD-DVD as a release standard. Don't worry, the Studios will re-release those Blu-Ray only DVD's in HD-DVD format in response to consumer demand.
Take the whole damn High Definition game away from Sony! Betamax all over again.
And Legislate: Foreign Companies Out Of American Media!
...a dish best served cold.
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Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 00:54 |
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This is crazy IT WAS SONY BMG WHICH IS THERE MUSIC ENTERTAMENT SECTION THAT DID THIS not there game/DVD/hardware/software sections so why are people bashing all things Sony i mean it's not like this is anything big someone was going to do it sooner or later BMG just happened to get there first and this security risk that does it's hiding techniques is BANG out of order but come on XP in a hole is a security risk i mean all you have to do is connect to the Internet and your at risk.
PS
If there's any Boycotting make it Sony BMG which is the REAL problem not all the other sections like there games/DVDs/hardware/software.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. November 2005 @ 01:08
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A_Klingon
Moderator
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22. November 2005 @ 01:13 |
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Oh! This is so, SO sweet!
The attorney-general himself !!! is involved!
Gawd, you gotta love it! "$100,000 per violation!" Such sweeeeeeeet justice! :-)
Let's hear it for Mr. Greg Abbott !!!!!!!!!
[Clap, clap - applause applause].
To drive the message home that we, as paying consumers, don't appreciate having our Fair Use Rights stripped away from us then SOLD back to us again, AND to put the Kybosh on Macrovision, who are currently getting too big for their britches again, I'll tell you what we should do:
Rip every damn one of the 20-or-so recalled DRM-diseased Sony/BMG XCP'd discs - every track - every album - and post 'em ALL up for download on your favourite P2P net.
If that doesn't piss the music artists off and get them on OUR side - song-writers, singers and musicians alike - then nothing ever will.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. November 2005 @ 01:17
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Ghostdog
Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 01:16 |
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Quote:
so why are people bashing all things Sony
I suppose a lot of people are just ignorant. And people seem to love hating the big boys - Sony and Microsoft mainly.
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A_Klingon
Moderator
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22. November 2005 @ 01:23 |
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Not so.
I don't hate "The Big Boys" at all - WHEN they play fair.
It's when they strip away your rights as a consumer, Ghostdog, that I rebel.
I have *always* - up until now - had a healthy respect and fondness for (most) things Sony-related. God knows they got enough of my money. (How many people do you know who paid $1,500 for a Sony DVD player??) I did!!
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Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 01:32 |
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That's what i was trying to say all there other sections are playing fair so far apart from BMG this is why i cant understand people wanting to Boycott the fair players. And $100,000 per violation, they can violate my PC all the want for that price :) I think they will learn there lesson from this f-up
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. November 2005 @ 01:43
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ireland
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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22. November 2005 @ 02:24 |
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In reality, it's Microsoft and Apple that we should really be angry with; two companies that are driving incompatible DRM technologies into the marketplace in a way that twists the royal (or should that be "royalty") screws into the world
The Sony rootkit fiasco is the equivalent of that red light somewhere way down the line that some runaway train in the movies blew through. Somewhere in a control booth far away is someone flicking some indicator light with his finger. He knows something's wrong, but he's not ready to sound the alarms just yet. It's the squadron of Japanese Zeros heading for Pearl Harbor that the radar technicians mistook for a flock of birds. We are ignoring the warning signs even though they're right in front of our faces. We are heading for a situation that we are all going to dreadfully regret
from thios story
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2177&tag=nl.e589
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keebles
Member
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22. November 2005 @ 05:26 |
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If sony wants to stop people from making copies, why don't they make the disc have a special player program that only reads/plays the disc when put in to a computer. When put in a CD Player it plays normal.
That would solve their problem with out having to resolve to being a bunch of sneeks try to hide programs that cause problems.
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jaehomo
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22. November 2005 @ 06:50 |
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Sorry Keebles, that's already been done. That didn't work either!
A friend of mine purchased a copy of a Kosheen album a few years back and discovered that there was a PC only player program which would play the songs on your PC at a whopping 96KBps!!! Maybe that would have been acceptable for someone who uses the built in speakers on their monitor (even then, only just). But who gave them the right to choose what devices we use to enjoy our entertainment?
To cut a long story short, I slung this CD into my SONY CD drive and used EAC to rip a nice clean 256KBps MP3 copy of all the tracks for maximum enjoyment on a high-end PC.
So basically Sony have achieved only negative outcomes from their crusade to stop digital copyright infringement. Receiving heaps of bad publicity and ill feeling towards them from all sides and being completely inept at stopping rippers!
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AfterDawn Addict
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22. November 2005 @ 07:00 |
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If you really want to put a bite on Sony .. Buy their products and then return them. This ends up costing even more than simply boycotting them .. you know, the added expense of having to refund consumer's their money
Or .. you can always just purchase AnyDVD and prevent those clowns at Sony from infecting your PC the good old fashioned way .. outsmarting the machine
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ireland
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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22. November 2005 @ 07:01 |
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TimKizzle
Member
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22. November 2005 @ 09:53 |
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Sony... please.... stop kicking yourself in the nuts. The problem with Sony as a company is very simple. They do not wish to respond to the needs and wants of the consumer. They believe that marketing research and business practices can ultimatly tell you what a consumer does and doesn't want. Therefore when it comes time to release products they TELL the customer what they are supposed to have. They are now paying for being arrogant. Look at the recent history of Sony's products, with many of them they are in a losing game.
Ludikhris
in responce, a similar thing is happening in another industry. Tivo is interested in releasing a way for people to transfer stuff from thier TiVo to thier ipod video
Tivo didnt initially plan to charge, but later decided to to "teach consumers to pay for content"
are consumers domestic animals in the view of Large companies?
I sure think so
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ireland
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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22. November 2005 @ 09:59 |
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Whisperer
Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 12:07 |
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Ireland,
Interesting about the tape. Went to the link but didn't see a diagram of exactly:
1. what size piece of tape,
2. EXACTLY where to place the tape,
3. what kind of tape (duct?),
4. or the issue of unbalacing the disk spinning in the drive.
Best regards,
Your Friend,
Whisperer
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ireland
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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22. November 2005 @ 12:30 |
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hi whisperer,
this is what i get out of there post with the tape..
Applying a piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disk renders the data track of the CD unreadable. A computer trying to play the CD will then skip to the music without accessing the bundled DRM technology.
quote
In response to Baba
Look carefully on the data side of the disc, and you'll see there is a visible difference in the audio and data rings. You'll want to mark just outside the audio ring, covering the beginning of the data portion.
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Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 17:39 |
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ha ha ha ha! got whats coming to them, hope other states/provinces sue them!
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nanu-nanu
Member
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22. November 2005 @ 18:06 |
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Damn its good to be a Texan.....
Do not allow sony to get away with letting dl the mp3 make them give you a disk That is what you paid for, they are responsible for the damage they did.
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A_Klingon
Moderator
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22. November 2005 @ 19:03 |
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Hi Whisperer !!! (Are ye being "good"?) :-)
Ireland:
Quote:
Gartner Says A Piece Of Opaque Tape Can Defeat Any CD DRM
Putting sticky tape on a disc is never a good idea. Putting sticky tape on the DATA (underside) of the disc is an even WORSE idea. You're just asking for trouble.
(However, I *can* see the logic in what 'Gartner' is saying.) By blocking off the damning software on the outer portion of the disc, you can render it unreadable, and thus -- un-installable.
Instead, do this ..... just use a Sharpie red-felt marker to block off the outer ring of data. (I suggest the red colour because if you should inadvertantly mark off *too* much data (by cutting into the music data), you can always use ordinary rubbing alcohol to easily clear off the red ink, and then you can remark it again. Black ink is always 3 times as hard to get off.
If after marking off the disc in red, you *still* get the stupid pop-up screen forcing you to agree to the "terms", then you know you haven't blocked-off enough data. DON'T SWEAT IT! Just say "no" to the 'agreement' and close it off. Take the disc out and scribble some more red ink on it.
Eventually you'll knock out the stupid DRM.
Boys-oh-boys, I wish most DRM viruses were that easy to stamp out!!!
Wouldn't it make a *terrific* headline? :
First4Internet's Latest DRM Initiative Foiled By A .49c Ink Marker!
So much for "high technology, eh? :-)
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A_Klingon
Moderator
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22. November 2005 @ 19:23 |
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Quote:
Damn, it's good to be a Texan.
Yeah, I've really liked you guys ever since Stevie Ray Vaughan came along !! 
Did ye know that everyone's favourite actor also hails from Texas as well?
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Senior Member
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22. November 2005 @ 21:23 |
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Finally Sony gets the message. I have been a loyal Sony client for years and I have always purchased their products despite the fact that I knew they were comparitively over-priced. But I digress. I know that this was launched by the music arm of Sony but do the math. It was intended to curb replication of their property which we all know is not only limited to music but has implications for DVDs, Game discs etc. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist but I believe that this was a pilot project which if it had been successful would have heralded a reign of terror on consumers from other large companies and most certainly the other arms of Sony Corp. What's next, video cameras in all cars so that you can't drive it unless you are the person who bought it. I know it sounds ridiculous and in fact the last comment is, but that's because I'm incensed by their draconian and clandestine action. Texas got it right. Stick it to them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an advocate for piracy of proprietary material but this was certainly a violation of consumers rights.
@A_K
How's it going?. Haven't seem you in other forums for awhile. Good to know that I have company in my Sony BMG castigation. Cheers.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. November 2005 @ 04:41
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Whisperer
Senior Member
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23. November 2005 @ 00:44 |
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A_Klingon,
Hey back at you. I like the sharpie idea ... if it works, anyone try it? What else would work? Don't like the possible balance issues with tape on a disk.
I watched "The Shootist" this afternoon. John Wayne has a line in the movie that crystallizes how I am reacting to Sony's actions:
John Bernard Books: "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
Then tonight I watched "Last Of The Mohicans"(1992). Madeleine Stowe has a line that clarified my present frame of mind about my once favorable feeings toward buying Sony products:
Cora Munro: "Duncan, you are a man with a few admirable qualities, but taken as a whole, I was wrong to have thought so highly of you".
Guess I've got Sony on my mind today!
Best regards,
Whisperer
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. November 2005 @ 00:51
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