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Also: From Reuters

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Microsoft said it would remove controversial copy-protection software that CDs from music publisher Sony BMG install on personal computers, deeming it a security risk to PCs running on Windows.

The XCP program, developed by First4Internet in Britain and used on music CDs by Sony BMG to restrict copying and sharing, has generated concern amongst computer users, because it acts like virus software and hides deep inside a computer where it leaves the backdoor open for other viruses.

"We have analyzed this software and have determined that in order to help protect our customers, we will add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit component of the XCP software to the Windows AntiSpyware beta, which is currently used by millions of users," Jason Garms, group program manager of the Also:

"Microsoft to remove Sony BMG malware" Reuters

Anti-Malware Technology Team, said on Microsoft's Technet blog. (http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware/archive/2005/11/12/414299.aspx)

Microsoft will also use it in other anti-virus software.....

More at: http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2005-11-15T104403Z_01_DIT538584_RTRUKOC_0_US-SONYBMG-MICROSOFT.xml

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Sony:

As someone put it elsewhere on the net: "They cut off their hand and put the blody stump in the water."

Now they seem to be stirring the water with the other hand with the two tier net pricing!!!!! Looks like they really don't like the net or anything on it. Some business plan.

Further down in the article:

A representative of the United States government last week warned entertainment publishers against using CD and DVD copy protection software that hides inside computers.

"It's very important to remember that it's your intellectual property; it's not your computer. And in the pursuit of protection of intellectual property, it's important not to defeat or undermine the security measures that people need to adopt in these days," said Stewart Baker, the assistant secretary the Department of Homeland Security, at a conference.

Interesting, when Homeland Security gets involved...

According to a respondent on the above MS blog:

Windows reliabilty and stability compromised

"Microsoft is not removing XCP DRM software --
Microsoft plans to remove only the "rootkit component of the XCP software" that hides the XCP software."

"As I understand, here's what remains:
1) a driver filter that loads in front of the certified CD driver,
2) software that limits number of copies and copy format,
3) a "phone home" component that contacts a Sony server each time a "protected" CD is played.

Unhiding the Sony XCP software removes the security breach caused by the rootkit component,
but it also increases the possibility that naive users will disable their CD drives by removing the XCP software. "

Underlines are mine. Sounds like the situation isn't improved much other than more bad PR for Sony.

Looks like they really don't like the net or anything on it.

You got it. It's all about control. COmputers and the internet have circumvented traditional music distribution networks that are, in my opinion, controlled tightly by the music industry. Their whole business plan seems to be based on an anology to monopolistic trade practices. Sony wants to decide who gets what and at what price. They do not want to be subjected to market prices where music becomes a commodity and priced according to market demand. It's like central planning, but by a company instead of a government.

Sony used to make some of the finest and most innovative consumer electronics available on the market. But lately, they've focused all their effort on creating proprietary, overpriced media storage formats and odious copy-protection schemes that do nothing but screw their paying customers and make the products all but unusable. Their products are overpriced crap anymore, coasting on a brand name that is fast becoming an industry joke.

And now they've decided to join the hackers, spammers, script kiddies and other internet lowlifes by writing copy protection that leaves your PC wide open to any kind of malicious code that someone might want to corrupt your machine with. I hope they enjoy what they've done - I've bought my last Sony product, and I'm definitely not alone.

Sony makes excellent products but they have screwed themselves by the conflict between their hardware business and their media business. That and their tendency to try to push proprietary systems. They are a company in conflict with themselves, with the media side dominating. One critic described ATRAC as a storage system designed by lawyers. SonicStage is major bloatware and generally mediocre. One version required you to download DirectX 9 every time you downloaded SonicStage, several hours of downloading on dial-up, even if you already had 9 installed (I think they corrected this). The minidisc music players could have been much bigger if they had been handled right, including native support for MP3 and WMA, but Sony restricted it to ATRAC and their crappy software 'til near the bitter end. I'll give Sony credit for one thing, they have been the leaders in squeezing out battery life for their portable players.