I Was Right About Sony
In what is clearly a temporary victory for music loving folks Sony BMG is going to stop releasing CD’s with their XCP-based copy protection software. So in short, I was right!
I had also promised that I would talk more about the uninstall from my computer. After going to one of the removal request forms, I received an email two days later saying:
Thank you for contacting Sony BMG Online.
Sony BMG and First 4 Internet have released a Service Pack update that removes the rootkit style cloaking technology that has been discussed in various articles recently published regarding the XCP technology used on our DRM content protected CDs. To alleviate any concerns you may have about potential security vulnerabilities, please visit the update site below to download and install Service Pack 2:
http://updates.xcp-aurora.com
If you wish to completely uninstall all of our DRM software, visit the form below using the computer where the software is currently installed. After submission you will be emailed a custom uninstall link within 1 business day (M-F).
http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/form9.html
Your “Case ID” is: 337XXXXX.
TIP: The uninstall request form will require an ActiveX plug-in.
Y may also need to temporarily turn off your pop-up blocker.TIP: A non-ActiveX uninstall process is in development. However,
until it is released, our online process is the only removal tool
available. If you prefer, or require a non-ActiveX solution, an
offline uninstaller is due to be released later this month at:
http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/updates.htmlThank you for the opportunity to be of assistance.
The Sony BMG Online Support Team
CCKMThis message and any attachments are solely for the use of intended recipients. They may contain privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you received this email in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error please contact the sender and delete the message and any attachments associated therewith from your computer. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.
Based on all their wording, they probably aren’t happy that I am now putting this on my blog even. So basically, what they were really doing is suggesting that I just upgrade to their latest version that doesn’t have the cloaking part of their software. I immediately (for lack of any other solution at the moment) upgraded. But as you can see it required that I go to the site with Internet Explorer so that the ActiveX stuff could work (and install - duh… I had to install more fo their software just so I could upgrade their existing software).
I also sent in a request for the full uninstall. That request was sent on Friday and as promised, on Monday, somebody approved my request to remove their software and I was emailed a special link to get to the software uninstaller (also an ActiveX type of thing). The end result was Wednesday to Monday to get the software off the computer (at the expense of installing their ActiveX controls).
It’s all a pathetic response to things. I hope they continue to get hammered on this issue until they really start owning up to this monumental mistake.