1115.org

Ever since someone found out how to reduce a song to a bunch of zeroes and ones in a computer file, the music industry has been scrambling to find their way in increasingly uncharted territory. They’ve sued to shut down file sharing networks and to prevent 12-year-old girls from grabbing unauthorized copies of Britney Spears singles. They’ve kicked hundreds of bands out the door and have ruthlessly pared down their staffs. They’ve pushed for copy protection and DRM (digital rights management) software to be embedded into their products. And—perhaps most galling for certain companies—they have seen a pissant computer company become the de facto standard in digital downloading, while making millions in profits from the related hardware sales.

Since we are talking about the music industry here, arrogance and a sense of entitlement go with the territory. Instead of taking a needed hard look at their own bad decisions and misplaced priorities, the major labels would rather place restrictions on its own customers. The latest and most notorious of these instances is the new DRM scheme that Sony has been quietly adding to new CD releases. As discovered by programmer Mark Russinovich, inserting the Sony CD into your computer installs a clandestine program that monitors and restricts your use of the music:

And what does this software do once it’s on your PC? It enacts unbelievably restrictive DRM, including possible incompatibility with computer CD-ROM players, DVD players, and car CD stereos. And in a deep-dive into the Sony end-user license agreement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation found some astonishing fine print. For example, if you lose the original CD or it’s stolen, you lose the right to any digital copies you’ve made. You can’t keep your music on computers at work. You must delete your songs if you move out of the country or if you file for bankruptcy. The list goes on and on. As for the artists whose names have been sullied by their association with the root kit, it seems that at least some of them didn’t give permission to Sony to use the backdoor DRM technology and want no part of it.

Even better, when you try to remove this spyware from your machine, it creates havoc with the operating system and causes the cd drive to stop working. And that’s not all. Already, hackers are exploiting the security flaws in Sony’s program to create new viruses. In a quest for more control over the music it sells, Sony is perfectly willing to put its customers’ computers at risk and monitor their activities, Big Brother style. The level of disrespect for the consumer—the ones who theoretically are necessary for Sony to exist—is astounding.

Don’t think this is all about stopping piracy, either—one of the main functions of Sony’s program is that it makes the music incompatible with the popular Apple iPod. And, by the way, can we show you to our fine line of Digital Walkmans?

This is inexcusable, and I can only hope that the many lawsuits that are sure to come of this hit Sony square in the pocketbook. As for me, it’s fair to say that I will never buy a Sony CD ever again; it’s just not worth the risk. I bet that there are plenty of consumers out there who will do the same.

When this is all said and done, how much will Sony’s desire to control their content cost them?