No christmas for Sony!

[kingandy]

In a move that would no doubt make stsquad proud, I have been recapping on that whole Sony-BMG "rootkit" fiasco.  Don't tell me you missed it?  It was on Radio One Newsbeat^[1], even I heard about it.  Well, in a demonstration of the power of BLOGOSPHERE 1, some geek in an attic stumbled upon a number of secret hidden files installed by his Sony music CDs and opened a Pandora's box of troubles for Sony's PR department.  The rest, as they say, is history.^[2]

Well, no, it isn't history quite yet, as several wronged parties including the State Of Texas have filed legal proceedings against the multinational conglomeration.  But you can read more about it at the aforelinked Anti-Customer Technology Timeline.

I mention this here because I found the ramifications of the infesting^[3] software's End-User License Agreement quite funny.  That's right, by inserting your CD into your PC and thereby installing this piece of malware that you neither asked for nor are aware of, you are agreeing to the terms of a 3,000 word EULA.  But what does that actually mean?

If your house gets burgled, you have to delete all your music.
If you move out of the country, you have to delete all your music.
If you file for bankruptcy, you have to delete all your music.

BEHOLD!



[1] To quote Bart Allen, "What?  You hear it ... first."
[2] Originally this paragraph involved use of the word "infested", but due to various reworkings it has regrettably had to be let go.
[3] Oh, there it is!  Nice to see it's still getting work.

Comments

[arwel.livejournal.com]

EULA's in a shrikwrapped product are of dubious legality. They are trying to enforce a contract on you that you were not aware of the details of at the point of purchase. I simply ignore them, and they can take me to court if they have issue with it.