Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far

Mark's Sysinternals Blog: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far

I bought two CDs from BMG records last week. I think those two will be the last Cd's I ever buy. This story from Mark Russinovich is a frightening example of corporate paranoia going too far. Their business model is, "Since our customers are criminals, we might as well be criminals too." Congratulations, Sony! You've destroyed the last bit of trust your customers had in you.

I can't wait to see the anti-trust and class action lawsuits arising out of this one. I wonder who made this genius decision? I think it was probably some exec with no idea or knoweldge of technology who got this suggestion, said "Hey, sounds good to me, that'll save us money from evil priate customers!" and is now on the line for hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits coming back the other way from pissed off people who now know why their computers stopped working, gut buggy, or became infected with spyware after playing a Sony CD.

Rarely do you get to see a major company go belly up from its own stupidity. Here's a case example writhing before us. Bye Sony, the world won't miss you.