James Delahunty
24 May 2006 18:35
A New York judge has granted final approval to a settlement for music fans who purchased audio CDs from Sony BMG that contained harmful Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. The DRM software included on these CDs were First4Internet's XCP and SunnComm's MediaMax. "This settlement gets music fans what they thought they were buying in the first place: music that will play on all their electronic devices without installing sneaky software," said Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Legal Director Cindy Cohn.
As well as getting the music you purchased without the harmful DRM software included, some people are also entitled to additional downloads or a small cash settlement. "Participating in the settlement is a way to show Sony BMG -- and the entire entertainment industry -- how important this issue is to you," said Cohn. "If you take the time to claim the product you deserve, maybe other music labels will think twice before wrapping songs in DRM."
Security researchers discovered the dangers of the DRM being used on these CDs last year. Both installed undisclosed and sometimes hidden files on a user's PC exposing them to attack by third parties. The infected CDs also communicated back to Sony BMG about customers' computer use without proper notification. In addition to compensating consumers, Sony BMG was forced to stop manufacturing CDs with both First4Internet XCP and SunnComm MediaMax software. The settlement also waives several restrictive end user license agreement (EULA) terms and commits Sony BMG to a detailed security review process prior to including any DRM on future CDs.
Anyone who bought one of the affected CDs should start the claims process at http://www.eff.org/sony
Source:
Electronic Frontier Foundation