Do Not Buy Sony/BMG Music
November 3rd, 2005 at 8:53 am by Preston Taylor HolmesWe live in a brand new world of high-tech-this, digital-that and mini-whatsitz. We (especially people dumb enough to blog) put up with fighting spam, viruses, hackers, etc. You would think that you would feel pretty comfortable going out and buying a CD from your favorite artist, putting it in your computer and rocking while you work or surf for porn. Not so fast, Charlie.
Sony/BMG has entered into the Virus Business and you could be a victim by simply buying music from a Sony/BMG artist and putting it in your computer’s CD drive.
Sony/BMG, following the example of Lars Ulrich and other artists, are trying to foil the piracy of their “art” by fucking up your PC. Awfully nice of them, isn’t it?
The discovery, by security expert Mark Russinovich (whose outfit, Sysinternals.com, makes several free Windows utilities I find invaluable in diagnosing spyware infestations), details how Sony uses commercial software that automatically installs itself when you put a music CD in a Windows PC’s CD drive.
More from PC World here:
After a bit of detective work, Russinovich eventually tracked down the source: a Sony BMG Music Entertainment CD titled Get Right with the Man, performed by country music duo Donnie and Johnny Van Zant.
It turns out that Sony is using techniques normally seen only in spyware and computer viruses in order to restrict the unauthorized copying of some of its music CDs. Sony’s software, licensed by Sony from a Banbury, UK, company called First 4 Internet, has become the basis of a dispute that once again pits computer advocates against an entertainment company experimenting with new ways to prevent the unauthorized copying of its products.
So, in an effort to foil copying and protect their copyrights, Sony/BMG thinks that it’s justified in destroying your personal property. There are ways of removing the Sony™-brand Malware, but, as you probably guessed, it ain’t easy.
The bigger question people have got to ask is, does Sony not respect the integrity of the computers of its customers? This cavalier act of sneaking software onto PCs not only violates our own Prime Directive — it’s our PC, dammit — but threatens the entire music industry.
When I hear about how the major labels are suffering and companies are going under and record-label scumbags are getting the axe, I chuckle. The big boys are screwing themselves out of business by 1) putting out garbage product and 2) pulling anti-consumer stunts like Sony™-brand Malware. They deserve to go down in flames and I recommend that music lovers continue their migration to the digital-download and indie-label sides of the biz.
If Sony/BMG wants to kill the CD format for music that they helped develop, they’re sure taking the right steps.
Here is a list of Sony/BMG Labels from their website, which probably just put spyware on my computer.
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
November 3rd, 2005 at 9:38 am
Music Malware
Preston over at Six Meat Buffet has post today about how Sony / BMG music has included spywaresch software on your computer that can end up messing up your system. They are doing this to protect their “art” and copyrighted materials. The software …
November 3rd, 2005 at 11:13 am
I remember when new CDs cost 10$-12$. If one major label would start a price war by offering cheaper prices, then music companies wouldn’t have to worry so much about piracy.
November 3rd, 2005 at 2:43 pm
Word!
The big music labels have been raping the consumer for over 20 years with insane prices for CD’s. Now with the advancement of technology, the violation is from the other end and now consumers have been able to screw the scum-bag big music labels.
November 3rd, 2005 at 9:07 pm
Blah Blah Blah
Today’s dose of NIF – News, Interesting & Funny … It’s Stop the ACLU Thursday (+ OpenTrackbacks)