Triffid wrote:

>> Taking your post at face value, your son's experience is one of many
>> he will
>> have as he grows older that will teach him that not everything works
>> the way
>> it's supposed to, but that the exception does not destroy the rule.
>>
>> Your son is fortunate to have a father who understands this and will no
>> doubt lead him in the right direction.
>
>
> The flack Sony is receiving in the press this week for their DRM Rootkit
> certainly helps.
>
> Modifying the Windows APIs to hide files and registry keys really is
> going too far. I suspect Microsoft would have serious concerns about it

It seems Microsoft has determined that Sony's DRM software is malicious,
and they plan to remove it. I am in full agreement with them!

http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware...12/414299.aspx

Triffid

> - consider the implications if a security vulnerability were discovered
> in one of the API DLLs hacked by the DRM Rootkit. Microsoft would
> release an update, but it would either fail to install (because the
> installer couldn't recognise the current DLL version), or install with
> unpredictable results (because it hadn't been validated on a hacked
> system).
>
> This won't happen to us again - the rule now is that all new audio CDs
> are checked on a Unix system first. If they aren't in standard CDDA
> format, they will be converted and burned in CDDA, and the original disc
> sealed with a warning sticker. This is a viable solution unless you are
> subject to DCMA or similar legislation.
>
> BTW the offending disc in our case was published by EMI - so the issue
> is wider than "less than 20 titles" from Sony as reported in the press.
>
> Triffid
>
>>
>> -- Ted Zieglar "You can do it if you try."
>
> >
>
>> "Triffid" <triffid@nebula.net> wrote in message
>> news:MBWaf.16016$LF3.996185@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ted Zieglar wrote:
>>>>
>>>
>>>>> > Most of the P2P networks on the internet are engaged in illegal file
>>>>> > sharing, so there is little motivation to provide an optimal
>>>>> customer
>>>>> > experience. In addition, most P2P networks are overrun with viruses,
>>
>>
>> spyware
>>
>>>>> > and poorly coded software, all of which cause problems on the
>>>>> network.
>>
>>
>> To
>>
>>>>> > avoid these issues, purchase your content legally.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Certainly one could reasonably expect to avoid these issues by
>>>> purchasing content legally, but that's not the case.
>>>>
>>>> Recently my son asked me to type the admin password on his XP system so
>>>> he could install P2P software and download music he wanted. I refused,
>>>> informed him of the malware risks and legal implications - and
>>>> suggested
>>>> he buy the CD.
>>>>
>>>> He bought the CD, which attempted to install a poorly coded rootkit on
>>>> his system without asking. Not only could he not play the music he had
>>>> purchased, XP could no longer access his CD drive at all.
>>>>
>>>> I repaired his system by restoring a recent Ghost image, and used Unix
>>>> tools to extract his music and burn it to a standard CDDA format disc.
>>>> We then returned the original disc to the store and demanded a refund
>>>> because it had been sold as an audio CD, but was not.
>>>>
>>>> Needless to say, all this wasted several hours of my time - and my son
>>>> is now sceptical of the values I have attempted to instill regarding
>>>> intellectual property rights as a direct result.
>>>>
>>>> Triffid
>>
>>
>>