Sony BMG Recalls Copy-Protected CDs
Responding in part to this lawsuit and a myriad of customer complaints,
the music conglomerate Sony BMG will be recalling its copy-protected discs, and offering an exchange to customers who bought them. The New York Times reports:
"We share the concerns of consumers regarding discs with XCP content-protected software, and, for this reason, we are instituting a consumer exchange programme and removing all unsold CDs with this software from retail outlets," Sony BMG said in an statement.This doesn't mean that copy-protected CDs are a thing of the past, though. As USA Today explains, the virus-inducing XCP protocol isn't the only means of trying to get at Apple by screwing its customers that Sony BMG employs. Remember, kids, that Sony and Apple aren't mad at you, they're mad at each other, and sometimes Sonys and Apples say things they don't mean when they stop loving each other. But this isn't your fault! Sony's just mad that Apple created the modern-day walkmen, and are trying to protect their commercial interests (uh, I mean, artists' rights) in the portable audio device market. Ironically, Apple computers can easily circumvent these protections and rip the discs to MP3 or whatever anyway.The XCP software used by Sony BMG, which was developed by British software developers First4Internet, leaves the back door open for malicious online hackers.
Sony BMG, in a separate statement, also announced it would distribute a program to remove the software from a PC where it jeopardizes security.
Posted at 10:20 AM
Does this mean I finally get to listen to the new Burt Bacharach? 'Cause I was just coming to terms with its iTunes incompatibility.
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no scott
forbidden!
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Is there a list of CDs that will be exhangeable? I have some discs that don't get along with itunes very well and would love to exchange them for ones minus the protection protocol.
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If you read Sony's release on the website, they pass all the blame to the software company that designed the XCP software, like we are supposed to believe that they had no idea. Their Atrac format will never catch on, and not being compatible with Iods is only going to hurt them. I hope they get sued, greedy fucking record companies.
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This is only rounnd one of the lawsuits. If I were an Artist on Sony BMG I would sue them too. Who knows how many people didn't buy their album because they were afraid of this virus.
Even if your CD wasn't one of the copyprotected ones, people may think it is.
Also if I were a shareholder of Sony I would sue them as well. Happens all the time and this is clearly grossly inadequate management.
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Sony BMG apparently *wants* to put itself out of business.
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apple should worry about their own legal woes with Apple Corps, Ltd. (Beatles record label). they stand to lose alot of cash.
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Sony/BMG shouldn't have any problem replacing the CDs - their plant in China was probably also producing unprotected pirates by the millions as well.
Just have to give the plant manager a call, ask about production on that "midnight" shift.
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Boycott Sony/Columbia & BMG/RCA this holiday season.
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If Sony is planning to release every damn record in their catalog from their factories in XCP in the future, I may as well figure out what artists were on a Sony record label and buy their XCP-free CDs now.
As for this article, I still laugh when I read the ending.
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You can bring back the CD but the malware will always be on your computer unless you reformat the hard drive.
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thank you very much for your help. You guys 74408 rock, thanks again.
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