RSSSony BMG Settles FTC Rootkit Case
By Ed Oswald | Published January 30, 2007, 2:16 PM
Sony BMG has settled with the Federal Trade Commission, agreeing to reimburse consumers up to $150 for damage to the computers caused by the label's use of rootkits to prevent piracy of its discs.
The company had settled a similar case with 39 states and the state of California late last year. Like those settlements, Sony BMG admits no wrongdoing, and must provide tools to help uninstall the rootkit software. In addition, it would be required to post notices of the settlement on its Web site for two years.
"Installations of secret software that create security risks are intrusive and unlawful," said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras. "Companies must adequately disclose unexpected limitations on the customary use of their products so consumers can make informed decisions regarding whether to purchase and install that content."
In a statement, the FTC said the software "exposed consumers to significant security risks and was unreasonably difficult to uninstall." It was used to monitor listening habits and prevent discs from being copied more than a preset number of times.
Exchanges of discs with the rootkit software would be accepted through June 31, 2007, the FTC ordered.
The commission vote to accept the settlement was unanimous at 5-0, and would be open to public comment for the next 30 days. After that time, the FTC would decide whether to make the ruling final.
Sony BMG was not returning requests for comment on the decision as of press time.
Aah, memories.
Bush's Golden State IIRC.
First CD I couldn't get to play, and Scottie The
Winpatrol watch dog asked me if I wanted to allow
a new start up program.
That was the first time I "copied" a cd. I burnt
an actual _audio_ cd from the thing they sent.
Such a PITA that I seriously considered posting
it to get back at the them for my trouble.
BTW, I did not allow the new startup program :)
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|I wonder if there's anywhere that I can still buy the rootkit'ed CD's so I can send it to Sony $150 back.
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|Nah. They pulled them from the shelves back in June, I believe.
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|$150 fine for a corporate secretly install some software on your computer. However, people get sue by RIAA for $150k fine per song??? Somebody please enlighten me.
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|Up to $150 per customer, not $150 total. Meaning it could add up to quite a lot.
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|$150.. just nice.. they should atleast be fined what a person would get for downloading a single song. $150,000
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|Boycott Sony! The current retards there are selling off of the name that Sony of aeons ago made for itself. bas****s, each and every one of them.
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|Proving the damage will be harder than it was to uninstall the rootkit, I'll bet. Seriously, my brother had a cd and interestingly enough the system did get a virus shortly afterwards, but I just now thought of that.
Anyway, he's not going to get the $150, even though he did lose some of his data and had to reformat his drive as a result of it. He's an IT admin for the network of a local Bank, too, so he's not some dummy when it comes to this stuff.
Sony BMG basically was just let off the hook for this rootkit debacle...
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|Yep. Once you get a virus, the first thing you do is get rid of it. No one cultures it for two years hoping for a class-action resolution.
This is an embarrassment for the FTC.
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