Sony: "Most People Don't Even Know What A Rootkit Is"

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Rootkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197">http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Rootkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197</a><br /><br />Sony, who can grasp exactly what is good for the market, knowing what is best for you, perhaps rivaled in the past by Palm telling you what features you do and don't need, has immediately gotten inside your head on all of this rootkit nonsense and boiled it down to a simple sentence.<br /><br /><i>"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"</i> - Sony BMG's Global Digital Business President Thomas Hesse. The above link takes you to an NPR interview available in Real Audio and Windows Media formats.<br /><br />Mr. Hesse, most people don't know what familial adenomatous polyposis is either, but when you have it, you darn well care. Oh yeah, congrats on <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27508">getting sued</a>. I can't think of another recording company more deserving of it. You can read more about the rootkit Sony is <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44158">sneaking on to your computer here</a>.

[Phillip Dyson]

I just did a cursory browsing of the EFF (http://www.eff.org) website and didn't find any mention of "Sony-gate". I wonder if they're going to get involved.

[Sven Johannsen]

If Upton Sinclair was still alive, he'd have material for a new book.

[rlobrecht]

Just to save you the google search. From http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic769.htm
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by the presence of hundreds to thousands of adenomatous polyps throughout the colon. All patients with this syndrome develop colon cancer if they are not treated.

[applejosh]

Well, this just proves that bureaucrats in charge really don't have a full understanding of things. This guy was probably told that this software will help protect the music from being ripped. Nevermind all that other technical stuff about opening up security holes and such. How long before we see a worm/virus that utilizes the $sys$ method for evading detection?

[alabij]

Thomas Hesse isn't too smart. Sony really needs to rethink the people it puts in management. Just because consumers don't know the meanning of certain terminology doesn't mean they don't care.

Most consumers think that computer viruses are biological but they darn well care about not getting infected.

[applejosh]

Most consumers think that computer viruses are biological but they darn well care about not getting infected.

If that were really the case, then maybe most people would understand that (updated) antivirus software is actually necessary. Most of the home systems I get to work on belong to clueless people who think antivirus software from 1998 (definitions from 1999) is "up-to-date" enough, if they have it at all. (Of course they learn real quick once they get the bill from the first time I have to clean/restore a system.)

[gibson042]

How long before we see a worm/virus that utilizes the $sys$ method for evading detection?

There's already a World of Warcraft cheat that does this. I suspect that a worm is already in the wild.

[wkspear]

I still listen to music on vinyl. Cassette tapes didn't kill the industry. I love music and books, so I know I would buy ebooks and iTunes music if they had a more flexible DRM technology. But I've tried both and they have some work to do. Sony is going in the wrong direction, and I'm actually glad in a way they did. Now people WILL know about rootkits. Maybe this will bring some balance to digital rights/consumer rights.

[stlbud]

Thomas Hesse isn't too smart. Sony really needs to rethink the people it puts in management. Just because consumers don't know the meanning of certain terminology doesn't mean they don't care.

Maybe not but this is so very typical of Sony. Everything they make has as much proprietary hardware and software they think they can pass on to the public.

They have made PCs that can't be repaired because the rebuild disk will only recognize 1 and only 1 model of disk from 1 and only 1 manufacturer. So what if the drive isn't made any more, too bad.

Beta may have been a better format but it too was proprietary.

What about proprietary memory cards for -- cameras, pdas, and game consoles.

How many times have they reworked the OS on their PSP so no one can load foreign software?

It is so bad, that I'm beginning to think that anyone who buys anything with the Sony or Aiwa (owned by Sony) branding is going to be sorry.

I won't buy Sony. I certainly won't buy or rent anything with the Sony name for fear they have found some way to corrupt my entertainment equipment. I won't even go see their movies.

[Jonathan1]

:soapbox:
Unfortunately this isn't the last we've seen of these tactics. Wait for the next generation of DVD....(currently looks like Blu-ray is winning the war.) BD+ (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050810-5194.html) looks like it will call home to mama on the internet. So it looks as if you will NEED to have a net connection for your next generation HDDVD player. . .That's assuming you are running the mandatory HDMI interface on your TV. If not you will only get DVD quality video. . . I wish people would have waken up to this 2 years ago. The media conglomerates are about ready to hand the general consumer a bottle of lub in 2006. Add a sandpaper condom to the mix if the broadcast flag, that the MPAA has been pushing like a New York corner pimp, gets passed by congress.
Not to sound like a complete alarmist but 2006 is going to be the war over consumer rights. We win we get to keep what we have. We lose and we get to pay through the nose for everything from copying CD content to various devices to individual TIVO recordings. (What? You think NBC and CBS is putting pay to view TV content on Comcast’s and DirectTV’s site for the heck of it? $10 says that in two years if the broadcast flag gets passed you won’t be able to time shift CSI with a TIVO or DirectTV DVR. They will lock the content with a broadcast flag and have you download it for $1.99 from ABC’s site. Welcome to the future of digital content. Excuse me while I throw-up utter repugnance. :pukeface:
:drinking: :frusty: :mecry:

[surur]

I hope this story can be kept alive, and not just be forgotten like all the previous transgressions of these companies. Ed, can you add a reminder to do an update of this story in a month's time, just before we all do our Christmas shopping and decide what DVD player, plasma TV, CD or Camcorder to buy. Sony will only learn if this hurts their bottom line.

Surur

[Mexico]

I don't want to hurt their feelings, but Sony is so... you know... how can I say it...



{{{{{{{{{{{ F---ING STUPID!!! }}}}}}}}}}}

To say they are as dumb as a box of rocks is a major insult to the rocks.

Sony...
:iamwithstupid:

[bjornkeizers]

I'm really beginning to lose my patience with Sony. They've been doing things like this for a while now, and if they keep it up, I'll just have to start boycotting their products.

I heard a nasty rumor earlier this evening as well.

As you know, sony will make the Playstation 3 game console. The rumor goes, each game disc will recieve a unique code. Once you play that game on your PS3, it will 'phone home' and mate *that* game to *that* console. It won't work in another console anymore.

It would effectively kill the lending, borrowing and returning of games. And if your console breaks... tough luck, you have to buy your games again.

[stlbud]

... this is so very typical of Sony. Everything they make has as much proprietary hardware and software they think they can pass on to the public...

I forgot to add another item to the list --

Does anyone remember when you couldn't even view the Sony web site unless you "registered" with your e-mail address?

I hope this story can be kept alive, and not just be forgotten like all the previous transgressions of these companies. Ed, can you add a reminder to do an update of this story in a month's time, just before we all do our Christmas shopping and decide what DVD player, plasma TV, CD or Camcorder to buy. Sony will only learn if this hurts their bottom line.

Surur

I hope everyone takes this as an opportunity to vote with their dollars. Sadly, I don't think Sony will get the message. They've been suffering with lower than expected sales and they believe they need to reorganize and go back to their "core business." To make the message clear, I think everyone has to tell them directly. "We're mad as hell and not going to take it any more."

[Gerard]

Consumer boycotts can be very effective. They have to be thorough to work. Major consumer rights groups must be notified, websites built and dedicated to keeping information simple, visible, and with easy avenues for user input. Geek-only petitions and rants will get nowhere with a big one like Sony, who sell most products to the naive masses through slick ad campaigns - not through geek sites. When's the last time we saw a Vaio banner on a PPC site?

[fierywater]

As of 10:00 P.M. on November 11th, 2005, I am boycotting all Sony products.

Who's coming with me.

[Phillip Dyson]

Consumer boycotts can be very effective. They have to be thorough to work. Major consumer rights groups must be notified, websites built and dedicated to keeping information simple, visible, and with easy avenues for user input. Geek-only petitions and rants will get nowhere with a big one like Sony, who sell most products to the naive masses through slick ad campaigns - not through geek sites. When's the last time we saw a Vaio banner on a PPC site?

True. Simply just not buying their media will give them more ammunition to blame pirates.

[whydidnt]

I hate to say it, but Sony, like many other entertainment companies is so delusional - if this hurts sales, and it will, they will simply turn it around and say sales are slipping BECAUSE of piracy, thereby requiring even heavier handed tactics.

If it wasn't so scary, I'd laugh, but these content providers need to understand that they are simply trying protect an out-dated business model. The harder they keep trying to make it for honest citizens to access their content, the more likely it is we'll find a different form of entertainment.

Eventually they will push too far, maybe this is the start of that, and there will be a consumer revolt that leads the bought off congressman to get back in line with what their constituents want!

[Gerard]

My suspicion is that Sony and similar companies will mostly survive, but that they will first face radical losses such as no recession has yet forced. They'll take a collective spanking as wave after wave of consumers realise they're being burned. The stupids with the fat wallets will allow their survival, but not by much, so the corporations will be forced to wake up and make big changes. Whether this happens sooner or later, with smaller or larger overall losses for the corporations, will depend largely on consumer lobbies. Don't count on smart executives; they're rare.

[Ed Hansberry]

Wanted to make sure everyone following the Sony DRM issue saw this update (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=44303).

[MRNUTTY]

I wish someone would make a way to install a virus in 'smiles' so people wouldn't use them anymore. for cripes sake they are getting larger and more elaborate everyday, you need a 2gig athlon just to animate the stupid avatars and smilies.