The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published an open letter to Sony-BMG that calls for the company to immediately and publicly commit to the following additional measures:
• Recall all CDs that contain the XCP and SunnComm MediaMax technology. The recall must include removing all infected CDs from store shelves as well as halting all online sales of the affected merchandise. We understand from a recent New York Times article that well over 2 million infected CDs with the XCP technology are in the marketplace and have yet to be sold.
• Remove from all current and future marketing materials statements like that on http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/updates.html that say the cloaking software “is not malicious and does not compromise security.”
• Widely publicize the potential security and other risks associated with the XCP and SunnComm MediaMax technology to allow the 2.1 million consumers who have already purchased the CDs to make informed decisions regarding their use of those CDs. The publicity campaign should include, at a minimum, issuing a public statement describing the risks and listing every Sony CD, DVD or other product that contains XCP or SunnComm MediaMax. The publicity campaign should be advertised in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all consumers who have purchased the products, in all markets where the CDs have been sold.
• Cooperate fully with any interested manufacturer of anti-virus, anti-spyware, or similar computer security tools to facilitate the identification and complete removal of XCP and SunnComm MediaMax from the computers of those infected. In particular, Sony should publicly waive any claims it may have for investigation or removal of these tools under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and any similar laws.
• Offer to refund the purchase price of infected CDs or, at the consumer’s election, provide a replacement CD that does not contain the XCP or SunnComm technology. For those consumers who choose to retain infected CDs, develop and make widely available a software update that will allow consumers to easily uninstall the technology without losing the ability to play the CD on their computers. In addition, consumers should not be required to reveal any personally identifying information to Sony in order to access the update, as Sony is currently requiring.
• Compensate consumers for any damage to their computers caused by the infected products, including the time, effort, and expenditure required to remedy the damage or verify that their computer systems or networks were or were not altered or damaged by XCP or SunnComm MediaMax products.
• Prior to releasing any future product containing DRM technology, thoroughly test the software to determine the existence of any security risks or other possible damages the technology might cause to any user’s computer.
• Certify in a statement included in the packaging of every CD containing DRM technology that the product does not contain any concealed software such as the XCP rootkit, does not electronically communicate with Sony-BMG or any other party, does not initiate the download of any software update or other data without informed consent of the consumer immediately prior to each communication, can be uninstalled without any need to contact Sony or disclose personally identifying information to anyone, does not present any security risks to any consumer’s computer, and will not damage or reduce the performance of the consumer’s computer or data in any way.
In the letter, EFF stipulates a deadline, “We look forward to hearing that you are in the process of implementing these measures by 9:00am PST on Friday, November 18, 2005.”
Full letter here.
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MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews are boycotting all Sony products until this and other “copy-protected CD” issues are addressed appropriately by Sony and recommend that our 2.2+ million unique visitors per month from 136 countries worldwide do the same.
Related articles:
Boycott Sony – November 14, 2005
Sony BMG ‘temporarily suspends’ production of music CDs with copy-protection scheme – November 11, 2005
Boycott Sony products: Sony music CDs can install kernel extensions on Mac OS X – November 10, 2005
Related articles:
Computer security firm: ‘Stinx’ virus hides within Sony’s copy protection scheme – November 10, 2005
Sony sued over copy-protected CDs – November 10, 2005
SonyBMG antics may well cause public to turn on them and turn many people onto Apple Macs – November 06, 2005
Report: Sony copy-protected CDs may hide Windows rootkit vulnerability – November 01, 2005
Analyst: Sony BMG’s boycott of Apple’s iTunes Music Store Australia won’t last long – October 24, 2005
Apple launches iTunes Music Store Australia – October 24, 2005
How to beat Apple iPod-incompatible Sony BMG and EMI copy-protected CDs – October 04, 2005
Japan music labels look to impose ‘iPod Tax’ while Sony, Warner still not signing with Apple iTunes – October 10, 2005
Why aren’t Sony, BMG, Warner, Victor making their artists’ music available on Apple’s iTunes Japan? – October 06, 2005
Sony and Warner holding out on Apple iTunes Music Store Australia – September 08, 2005
Musicians stage mutiny against Sony, defiantly offer music via Apple’s iTunes Music Store – August 10, 2005
Sony BMG and EMI try to force Apple to ‘open’ iPod with iPod-incompatible CDs – June 20, 2005
New Sony BMG copy-protected CDs lock out Apple iPod owners – June 01, 2005
Record company causes Apple to hit ‘pause’ on Australian iTunes Music Store – May 05, 2005
all this because Sony just couldn’t deal with Apple? wouldn’t it have just been simpler to “go with the flow”? instead of revenue comining in, now they’ll have this huge mess to clean up. i like Sony; i have a lot of their products; but, for the last 40 years, it seems that they just can’t get it through their corporate heads that the world wants ease of use and expected results. they constantly attempt to introduce “non-compatable” formats and standards, even against themselves. it seems that one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing there. i’d really hate to see Sony collapse, but if they keep on doing silly crap like this drm scheme, they may be irretrieveably on the ropes this time.
Could someone please explain what EFF is? I get where the acronym comes from but like two million similar consumer groups it doesn’t mean much of anything.
Is this some strange group of whiny geeks that MDN is trying to portray as important people or does this group actually have any power or credit as a consumer protection organization?
No doubt the EFF will be turning blue in the face holding their breath.
Sony has long had this notion, not unlike Apple, that their way is superior and they aren’t really interested in conformity as much as promoting their technologies. The only reason they will be complying with any of these demands is market pressure.
That is why boycots like MDN’s are the most effective way to affect corporate change. Imagine what would ahppen if everyone boycotted Microsoft products until they were stable and secure!
MDN word: under
Why not spend all of 5 seconds on Google to answer your question?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation
EFF = Electronic Frontier Foundation
http://www.eff.org/about/
aparently the EFF has some muscle
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9075-1873580,00.html
Good luck with your demands EFF. You’ll need it.
Good luck with your demands EFF. You’ll need it.
Check out the link from Diva max,
it is already happening
I told you should’a hired me. You’re on your own now.
Well … didja listen to my stuff? Can I get a contract?
Man … you’re like EFF’ed.
I wonder if there is going to be a notice in their magazine <style</i></b>?
(Punching calculator) 2.1 million consumers and growing … let’s say … $300 per consumer … $3,000 per destroyed PC. Say Johnnie! Can we get any punitive damages for this?
MW: I told you….
Now it so happens, Mr. Chairman … [that] some enterprises, acting on purely economic self-interest … uh, cross over the line of … uh … the sensible legal line … then, in situations like that … where the public interest has been adversely impacted … then some form of punitive damages could be warranted … and would lead to incentives for other similarly afflicted enterprises to, uh … follow more reasonable economic behavior.
“Good luck with your demands EFF. You’ll need it.” -max
No, $ony will need the luck. EFF’s open letter is only the first volley before a massive assault in the pop press and courts.
And there are and will be other groups going after $ony. So good luck $ony; you’ll need it!
Fskers
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I’m definitely joining in on the boycott!
“Damn their warnings, damn their lies!
They will see the people rise!”
— Les Misérables
EFF Demands:
1.Recall all CDs that contain the XCP and SunnComm MediaMax technology. The recall must include removing all infected CDs from store shelves as well as halting all online sales of the affected merchandise.
Won’t happen
2.Remove from all current and future marketing materials statements like that on http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/updates.html that say the cloaking software “is not malicious and does not compromise security.”
Might Happen
3. Widely publicize the potential security and other risks associated with the XCP and SunnComm MediaMax technology to allow the 2.1 million consumers who have already purchased the CDs to make informed decisions regarding their use of those CDs. The publicity campaign should include, at a minimum, issuing a public statement describing the risks and listing every Sony CD, DVD or other product that contains XCP or SunnComm MediaMax. The publicity campaign should be advertised in a manner reasonably calculated to reach all consumers who have purchased the products, in all markets where the CDs have been sold.
Not a chance
3.Cooperate fully with any interested manufacturer of anti-virus, anti-spyware, or similar computer security tools to facilitate the identification and complete removal of XCP and SunnComm MediaMax from the computers of those infected. In particular, Sony should publicly waive any claims it may have for investigation or removal of these tools under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and any similar laws.
Cooperate fully? Sony?
4.Offer to refund the purchase price of infected CDs or, at the consumer’s election, provide a replacement CD that does not contain the XCP or SunnComm technology. For those consumers who choose to retain infected CDs, develop and make widely available a software update that will allow consumers to easily uninstall the technology without losing the ability to play the CD on their computers. In addition, consumers should not be required to reveal any personally identifying information to Sony in order to access the update, as Sony is currently requiring.
This one will probably come to pass except the part about retaining infected CDs.
5.Compensate consumers for any damage to their computers caused by the infected products, including the time, effort, and expenditure required to remedy the damage or verify that their computer systems or networks were or were not altered or damaged by XCP or SunnComm MediaMax products.
You really want a discount on another SonyBMG CD? That’s what you’ll get.
6&7. Probably
EFF not always the good guy. I believe they were strong supporters of things like Napster (old version) Grokster et al. for music piracy..err I mean file sharing. Their catch phrase? “The Music wants to be Free!” and the musicians want to be in the poor house I guess. Also spare me the flames about how bad the record companies are. I agree they are. But it is the system we have and which the performers agreed to be a part of. It amazes me that people want to get the fruits of someone else’s creative endeavours for free, because “information should be free”. If this is true can I have the pin number for your bank card? It’s only information after all!
MW record- wow. Did CDs used to be called records?
If I am a Mac user, does that make me exempt from the class action suit? If I didn’t purchase any of the infected CD’s, can I still jump on the bandwagon? I think I have a claim–Reading this has taken away valuable time that I will never recover… I can’t stop reading it, and I can’t resist posting about it. That’s gotta be worth a million or two…
MW: Lines–The Sony guys must have been doing lines when they made the decision to implement this crap!
Did you or did … QUIET! … I’m asking the questions here. [Stares]
…
…
Did you or did you not warn consumers of the security risk?