SunnComm + Sony = Bad News
November 29th, 2005
Edward Felten gives us chapter and verse on exactly how evil the SunnComm software Sony uses to protect music CDs really is.
On a Windows PC with Autorun-from-CD enabled (as it is on your average home user’s PC), SunnComm’s software will install files and sometimes even set up Windows to run components of SunnComm’s software automatically at startup even if you, having read the (misleading) End User License Agreement, decide to play by Sony’s rules and decide that you’re prepared to forego the ability to play their CDs on your PC rather than install their software. Basically, whether or not you want to play nice with Sony they’ll regard your PC as theirs to mess with.
SunnComm need to be sued for every penny they’ve got, Sony need to see their sales plummet as everyone with half a braincell avoids their CDs like the plague, and one or more senior Sony executives needs to be prosecuted and jailed under the Computer Misuse Act. If this sort of thing isn’t stamped out it’ll only encourage the bastards…