Is Sony Hijacking Your PC?

If you're still using Windows, you might consider avoiding new music on Sony labels, as some of those releases are now furtively installing something like spyware on Windows-based PCs. If you find this surprising, you might consider browsing the Electronic Frontier Foundation's DMCA Archive and its excellent summary of terminology to look out for in EULA. And then consider installing a linux OS.

Here's a bit from the PCWorld piece:

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mark Russinovich couldn't understand how the rootkit had sneaked onto his system. An expert on the internals of the Windows operating system, he was careful when it came to computer security and generally had a pretty good idea of what was running on his PC at any given time. And yet the security tool he was using to check his PC was pretty clear: It had found the rootkit cloaking software typically used by virus and spyware writers.

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.

Update:

Here's a thoughtful and informative post on this issue from WAPO tech blogger Brian Krebs.

He writes:

I understand Sony's desire to protect its intellectual property, and piracy certainly is a problem. But installing software that opens people up to further security risks and potentially destabilizes the user's computer can't be the best way to address that problem.

In truth, most antipiracy programs created thus far (and this one is no exception) place limits on legitimate users, but usually do little to prevent determined users from getting around the copy protection altogether.