Sony BMG aims to amend XCP CD users with MP3s & new CDs

20 Nov 05 01:17 by Seán Byrne in category Uncategorized To news archive

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When Sony initially started its Digital Audio Player Walkman series, they were totally against the MP3 format, however after very poor sales, they
added MP3 support on their later Walkman series. Now, after causing so much grief and anger with their XCP rootkit based copy protection software, Sony BMG has finally announced that it would do anything it possibly can to amend the customers who have been affected.

So Sony BMG has decided to do one thing that no one would ever dream of Sony Corp. nor Sony BMG doing, by e-mailing the affected customers a link to their website where they can download unprotected MP3 tracks of their affected CDs as part of the exchange programme. 4.7 million CDs with the XCP software have been recalled and customers can send back their affected CDs for replacement unprotected CDs of the same titles in return.

Due to further controversy over the security issues of Sony BMG’s recent uninstall tool, the company has announced that they would make a new uninstall tool available. Unfortunately, this will not be the end of copy-protection either for the company as they still emphasise that it is an important tool for protecting their own and the artists’ intellectual property rights. Thanks to Hypnosis4U2NV who used our news submit to let us know about the following news:

src="http://www.cdfreaks.com/contentimages/newsimages/1247746314" align=right border=0
> In an attempt to make up with consumers whose PCs have been exposed to unsecure copy-protection software which acts like malware, music publisher Sony BMG said on Friday it would swap unsecure CDs for new unprotected disks as well as unprotected MP3 files.

The music publishing venture of Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony Corp. and Germany’s Bertelsmann AG had already said last week it would temporarily suspend the manufacture of music CDs containing the controversial copy-protection technology.

src="http://www.cdfreaks.com/contentimages/newsimages/1398997388" align=left border=0
>The XCP copy-protection programme, developed by British software firm First4Internet and used by Sony BMG to restrict copying and sharing of music CDs, acts like virus software and hides deep inside a computer where it leaves the backdoor open for malicious hackers.

src="http://www.cdfreaks.com/contentimages/newsimages/1010017817" width=86 align=right border=0
>Sony BMG, after announcing a recall of some 4.7 million CDs with the software on Wednesday, said on Friday consumers could mail their CDs to the company, and they would receive a new unprotected CD in return.

Pending the processing of the exchange programme, consumers would also receive an email with details of a Website where they could download the music tracks as unprotected MP3 files.

It seems like Sony has finally given up with the copy-protection on the 52 affected discs. Then again from what I can see, offering MP3 versions of the tracks is not going to make piracy any worse either since chances are that the tracks of all 52 CDs would likely be widely shared at this point, not to mention that the only people who were affected by this nasty software were those who have actually got the official CDs! However, at least the consumers can play these replacement tracks on any MP3 player, including iPods and not just those supporting some form of DRM.

Source: Reuters – Technology News

8 Comments

heystoopid: Posts: 307; Posted on: 20 Nov 05 01:28

Hmm, they will probable come with Sunncom's Mediamax, which installs software even when you say NO! "Freedom to tinker", has pointed that it has some security problems as well. Oh well, once bitten twice shy!:r

okayman: Posts: 13; Posted on: 20 Nov 05 02:21

yeah, go ahead with the recall and destroy the evidents so nobody got the vital evident - the real rookit CD to make a claim. If you want genuine music, then go swap the CD. If you want to make a claim, then keep the evident, the disc itself. Why all the time when damage was done then make remedies. Why don't big companies really care for their genuine customers in the first place? All these DRM/protection things are only hurting the honest customers, not their targeted illegal sharers.

drphobus: Posts: 47; Posted on: 20 Nov 05 17:42

My god how stupid do you have to be to download from Sony at this point in time. Sony have already put a virus on to your pc so they say let us have another go. Take the infected disc back to shop and buy a normal audio CD .It worked with MP3 players they all play normal MP3's now, but if people had been happy with the Sony option it would now be a different story

jyskout: Posts: 4; Posted on: 20 Nov 05 18:15

These MP3's are also compatible with linux. Can't remember the XCP rootkit is :d

Roj: Posts: 434; Posted on: 21 Nov 05 13:36

If nothing else this should bring one point home with crystalline clarity: We the buying public DO have the power to force these bastards to do what we wish because without us, they're nothing AND THEY KNOW THIS. They're slaves to their own greed AND SO THEY CAN'T HAVE IT THEIR OWN WAY IF WE DON'T WANT THEM TO. We have them by the 'nads. It's time to go for the jugular. It's time for DRM to go DOWN. Make your wishes known - don't touch a single product from any company that embrace DRM and copy protection this holiday season, both audio and video. Make them BLEED in the only way they know how: Their Balance Sheets. Then watch what happens.

yronnen: Posts: 69; Posted on: 21 Nov 05 23:00

All non-sense. Latest research shows that there is no decrease in sales for Sony CDs or other products. Basically, they win.

bret34: Posts: 26; Posted on: 22 Nov 05 00:08

I'm just curious whare the poster who said that "latest research shows that there is no decrease in sales for Sony CDs" got his/her info. With their abomidable getting more and more publicity by the hour, where can the rest of us get this up-to-the-minute research??

yronnen: Posts: 69; Posted on: 22 Nov 05 23:51

Read this: http://news.com.com/Sony+sailing+past+rootkit+controversy/2100-1027_3-5965243.html?part=rss&tag=5965243&subj=news

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Sony BMG aims to amend XCP CD users with MP3s & new CDs

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