SunnComm promises to improve its Audio CD DRM software

February 7, 2006

SunnComm,
a company who developed controversial anti-piracy software used by some record labels including Sony has announced that they will begin working on removing security flaws from its software. Up until recently, their MediaMax software not only exposed PCs to security issues, but also installed without any warning and did not provide the user with any means of uninstalling its software. This action to fix its security flaws and make it more user-friendly comes after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) pressured SunnComm since its issues were first exposed.

SunnComm
now promises to debug its software and add the ability to allow users to decide
whether to install the software as well as provide an uninstaller. In an
aim to prevent further security issues, they agreed to have all future versions
of its MediaMax software tested by independent security firms. Finally,
the company announced that they are pleased to be working with the EFF to notify
existing customers about the current security vulnerability.

Back in
January, SunnComm published listings of discs that use its MediaMax
software. Unfortunately, with such a wide range of discs using the flawed
MediaMax software, there are a lot of consumers still out there who are unaware
of the potential harm they care causing to their PC by playing these
discs. Sony BMG has now in-turn announced plans to improve its security
measures with its own CDs, which clearly indicates that Sony BMG is still
committed to using copy protection software on its Audio CDs despite facing its recent
battle. Thanks to heystoopid for letting us know about the following news:

The company behind controversial anti-piracy software installed on some music CDs says it will work to end security flaws found in its products.

SunComm's MediaMax software has been discovered covertly installing itself and can leave PCs vulnerable to attack.

The company has published a list of all CDs that use the software, and has pledged to make it easier for users to refuse installation, or to uninstall.

Sony BMG vowed last December to improve security on its CDs using the program.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights campaign group, has pressured SunComm since MediaMax's behaviour was first exposed.

While SunnComm intends making its software more
user-friendly and less likely to cause security issues, this still does not
solve the problem with
consumers being unable to transfer music to their iPod or other non-WMA DRM compatible MP3 player. With the fall in portable CD player usage and many shops now offering a much wider MP3 player selection than its CD player selection, in my opinion once novice consumers get fed up with these MP3-player-unfriendly DRM measures, consumers will start resorting to online services, which may not be the ones the music industry would be keen on. Unfortunately unlike those who sample P2P music to decide which CDs to buy, in this case, these would unlikely turn back to CDs!

heystoopid added: Well, since SONY/BMG has sold, at least with a minimum of 24 million plus, of these defective audio cd's sold worldwide since release, this items will continue to plague, windows computer users with its auto install unwanted junk software, for as long as optical readers capable of reading audio cds exists! Oh well, the only real cure is a total recall, and replacement of the defective product, given the furore caused by XCP, this event would have very low priority, unless forced to do so, by multiple lawsuits from aggrieved users seeking full financial redress, to fix up the mess caused by this junk software !

Source: BBC News - Technology