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Sony DRM Rootkit News
The FTC has posted an advisory about the proposed final settlement with Sony over their CD DRM rootkit installs they attempted last year. Consumers can get up to 150 dollars back for cleaning out the kits, and sony has to pay a fine and agree to play nice. However; you can still file a comment if you write to the FTC on this matter.
from the FTC:
"Sony BMG Music Entertainment has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law when it sold CDs without telling consumers that they contained software that limited the devices on which the music could be played, restricted the number of copies that could be made, and contained technology that monitored their listening habits to send them marketing messages. According to the FTC, the software also exposed consumers to significant security risks and was unreasonably difficult to uninstall. The proposed settlement requires Sony BMG to clearly disclose limitations on consumers’ use of music CDs, bars it from using collected information for marketing, prohibits it from installing software without consumer consent, and requires it to provide a reasonable means of uninstalling that software. The settlement also requires that Sony BMG allow consumers to exchange the CDs through June 31, 2007, and reimburse consumers for up to $150 to repair damage to their computers that they may have suffered in trying to remove the software."...full details and etc., there
ed: Important business tip!! Remember kids, when building your botnets, for your security and economic well being, always make sure you have joined the black suit and tie army first, and have an Inc. next to your name. That way there won't be any question of pokey time for hacking, like if you were doing this from your apartment in jeans, T shirt and sneakers, and you can just pass off any fines you might get on to your next victim customers as a cost of doing business.