Attorney General Abbott Brings Spyware Action Against Sony

[smb]

Attorney General's Office Press Release:

AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today sued Sony BMG Music Entertainment as the first state in the nation to bring legal action against SONY for illegal "spyware." The suit is also the first filed under the state’s spyware law of 2005. It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs (CDs) that consumers inserted into their computers when they play the CDs, which can compromise the systems....

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. I wonder if any other states wil follow

:shrug:

[derby378]

2. Woo-hoo!

Greg Abbott serving the common good of Texas? Now that's refreshing.

[Czolgosz]

5. This is his MO. Whenever there is a meritorious class action, Abbott

files it and then settles it for pennies on the dollar and then brags about how he got it done for Texas consumers when -- in truth -- he cut the corporation a sweetheart deal. He has done this time and time again.

[Poet Lariat]

3. I also heard on NPR this morning

...that this secret software can monitor listening habits of the user and surreptitiously report back to Sony. That's true "spyware" if I ever heard it. Interesting that this was not mentioned in the article you sited.

[Poet Lariat]

4. From my "3" above

I couldn't find a reference on the NPR site for this mornings story but found another take on it here...
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14414&hed=Sony+Spyware+Draws+Lawsuits

>snip<
Collecting PC Information
The issue came to light on October 31 in a blog entry by Windows computer engineer Mark Russinovich, who came across a rootkit on his personal computer while running a security scan.

A rootkit is a set of tools frequently used by an intruder after cracking a computer system. The tools are intended to conceal running processes and files or system data, which helps an intruder maintain access to a system for malicious purposes.

Mr. Russinovich realized later that the source of the rootkit was a Sony BMG CD entitled Get Right with the Man by Van Zant. The CD carried the DRM software that installed the rootkit on his computer.

On Monday, computer security firm Computer Associates released a report saying the software secretly collects information from any computer that plays a CD with the software. The software spies on users, sending IP addresses and listening habits back to Sony and potentially its partners, CA said.”
>snip<

I'll never by another Sony product (except for a really nice flatscreen TV when the prices finally come down. But that's it, nothing after that, really!)