The Sony rootkit debacle just got even funnier

Everyone knows the story of how Sony put bullshit copy protection on audio CDs that would install a rootkit on your computer, that if extracted would wreak havoc on the system, etc. And then they were forced to admit it and provide a way to get rid of it safely?

Well, it turns out the code for the rootkit itself violates someone else's copyright!

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The spyware that Sony installs on the computers of music fans does not even seem to be correct in terms of copyright law.

It turns out that the rootkit contains pieces of code that are identical to LAME, an open source mp3-encoder, and thereby breach the license.

This software is licensed under the so called Lesser Gnu Public License (LGPL). According to this license Sony must comply with a couple of demands. Amongst others, they have to indicate in a copyright notice that they make use of the software. The company must also deliver the source code to the open-source libraries or otherwise make these available. And finally, they must deliver or otherwise make available the in between form between source code and executable code, the so called objectfiles, with which others can make comparable software.

Sony complied with non of these demands, but delivered just an executable program. A computerexpert, whose name is known by the redaction, discovered that the cd "Get Right With The Man" by "Van Zant" contains strings from the library version.c of Lame. This can be conluded from the string: "http://www.mp3dev.org/", "0.90", "LAME3.95", "3.95", "3.95 ".

http://dewinter.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=215

:rofl: :rofl:

if LAME is licenced under the LGPL then Sony don't have to do anything. (Isn't the copyright notice thing the BSD licence instead?)

If the code they used was GPL-licenced instead, now that would be well funny... :bounce:

I completely ignore those things. Could have been a typo in the article, there were a couple.

I went and read up on the LGPL, the excerpt you posted checks out. My apologies. :)

I'm sure the rootkit gave let them know where they could get lame source before it installed right?

:P

I got mad at Dell for supporting Bush so much, and bought a Sony VAIO instead when I got a new computer. Now Sony does this, and now I'm stuck with my VAIO. I can't afford another computer.

If you buy a Sony or BMG CD and happen to put it in your computer, spyware gets installed which cannot be removed nor do they tell you about it and it can crash your PC as well.

So if you put in a Sony CD, be sure to turn off the autorun, because they now supply spyware on their disks and deny any wrong doing or make an uninstall publically available (only by direct request after filling in detail forms are you allowed to get an uninstalled which can crash your computer as well ;) )

I was saying that I can't boycott Sony products, as I'm stuck with the computer.

This is Sony BMG which is former Sony Music and former Bertelsmann Music. They are more or less independent, so if you stop buying Sony or Bertelsmann CDs won't affect the Sony computer sales.

I usually boycott a company completely when I boycott.

In this case I am not inclined to be a CD with matching spyware, but it wouldn't mean that I'd not buy some Sony electronics. But those CDs are yuck and even though my autorun is turned off it'll still be strange to put a Sony CD in my computer.

No reason we can't approach it differently. Sony has no high ground now when talking about P2P downloading. Really makes me mad.

It's like boycotting Proctor and Gamble. It may sound good, but they have so many names that it's hard to tell which product is and which isn't of P&G and if it isn't you can be sure it'll be ultimately owned by Unilever which almost as evil :evil

But in this case Sony and BMG CDs are avoided. It doesn't mean boycotting Sony or Bertelsmann even though neither or those 'blue' companies are extremely ethical... but mandatory spyware is where I draw the line... It's pure evil.

about each product. You're not going to be talking me out of my boycott. ;-)

I got away from my first point. I already use a big Sony product, so I might as well just boycott their copy protected CDs after all.

:hug:

:hug:

At least Apple being a good company makes up for it. They're also blue. :-)

and even with the one Apple I could afford (the shuffle) it doesn't have a fricking display.

I've already decided I'm getting a Sony

iPods also never come down in price. Still, they have good products and I would enjoy doing business with them.

:grr:

I'd rather buy a CD manufactured by Halliburton that doesn't have this "Copyright Nazi" shit.

:toast:

(Although I'd rather rip off the Halliburton CD). ;)

Lobbying for anti-consumer laws in the name of "Protecting intellectual property", but stealing other people's intellectual property is fine.

And if sales drop, then it isn't because of a boycott, or due to poor quality; it is because of too lax laws...
:grr:

Alas, there is the possibility that Sony "just" uses the Lame strings as a pattern to identify ripping tools.

God doesn't act like he's Sony.