President of Sony Global Digital Business gives a pass to the rootkit
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 8th 2005 11:35AM
posted Nov 8th 2005 11:35AM
We take issue with NPR's presentation of the latest money quote in the
Sony-DRMed-CD-rootkit drama, but there's no
denying what one Thomas Hesse (President of Sony's Global Digital Business) had to say on the topic: "Most people, I
think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" Granted, listening to the NPR clip one
doesn't know how out of context this quote was taken (or how much was lost in translation, as from what we understand
Hesse a native German speaker), but no matter how you cut it, this is a less than desirable sound byte to be floating
around out there right now. C'mon Sony, what's the first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole?
[Via TechDirt]
most people don't know what sarin gas is so why should they care...
Someone at Sony is wearing the "ribbons of shame". If not they better be. I hope sony goes down in flames and sells their gaming division to Samsung(who makes the psp for the US now)
Hey just thought you would want to edit this before to long... you have "must" where I think you mean "much"...
Hey, if you don't know that you're being spied on, you have nothing to worry about.
sigh...it will only be a matter of time before my childhood memories are DRM'ed. :(
How about those of us who do know what a rootkit is? We care! If Thomas Hesse didn't know I was in bed with his wife, would he care?
This almost makes me happy I had to spend $300 on car repairs instead of buying a PSP last weekend.
Imagine someone saying this in, say, 1982: "Most people don't know what HIV is, so why should they care about it." While DRM is unlikely to kill you, it certainly wise to choose your partners carefully ;)
"Most people, I think, don’t even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?”
Translation:
Most people, I think, don't know that I'm growing pot in my basement. Why should they care about it?
Wow, I'm guessing the Italian group that filed the lawsuit against Sony is licking their chops after that quote. That was dumb sir. Very, very dumb. No soup for you! ;-)
They are clearly MS fans on this website because they keep dissing Sony when, to be honest, every company has their own share if you really want to find flaws~ Funny thing is they won't be able to kill the PS3 so their fighting a losing battle with the X360~
It's getting more and more obvious how the next gen console wars are gonna pan out - in favour of Sony.
I really don't understand how anyone can be a Fanboy for Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo, much less any major corporation. THEY EXIST TO TAKE YOUR MONEY, they don't care if you like them as long as they can implant an artificial need for their product in your head. The issue at hand is Sony's use of INVASIVE technology to tunnel into your computer and open potentially hazardous backdoors to illicit software. You fanboys are fools if you think any loyalty you feel for these corporations will be rewarded. Who gives a rip which console wins the "war"? Don't we all lose when competition is the casualty?
#9 Free Speech:
what the hell does the next-gen console war have to do with Sony distributing spyware through it's retail music cds?
There is a difference between flaws and exploits. Besides, this wasn't to point out product flaws, it was to point out the completely horrible logic of this guy.
Although Sony didn't develop it, there are just as much at fault for it all in the end...
If someone came up to you with a little box and said 'this is a necklace' give it to your daughter for her birthday You'd open it right? If you didn't open it and it turned out to be naked photos (or something else a young child shouldn't be exposed to) who would ultimately be at fault..? You would for not checking it out first.
"Free Speech".. your comments are retarded drool that has managed to slip out of your mouth. Sony is distributing a harmful program that is going to make life that much easier for exploiters. In case you haven't read anything, nowhere on the CD you but states that you are getting the DRM rootkit installed and nowhere do you agree to it.
I don't care about if the PS3 is better than Xbox360. I care that a corporation would be as stupid as Sony to try to force feed a copy protection down our throats without consent and with potential for massive harm to the OS.
Passing on a rootkit?!
"C’mon Sony, what’s the first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole?"
A root canal?
>They are clearly MS fans on this website because they keep dissing Sony when, to be honest, every company has their own share if you really want to find flaws~ Funny thing is they won't be able to kill the PS3 so their fighting a losing battle with the X360~
It's getting more and more obvious how the next gen console wars are gonna pan out - in favour of Sony.
>
Yet more proof that fanboys are functionally retarded. Myopic idiots that can't see anything past their little world of consoles and twelve year-olds arguing over the internet.
Go back to the GameFAQs forum where you were dredged up from and let us adults handle the discussion, thanks.
you show that much contept for your customers, and then expect me to buy your music, sony? i don't think so. i'm off to isoHunt
“Most people, I think, don’t even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?
What the techs are saying:
Most people, I think, don't know that Sony's DRM software was compromising their system security by letting hackers have a way to hide files on systems.
“Most people, I think, don’t even know what a piracy is, so why should they care about it? Music is free isn't it?"
>If someone came up to you with a little box >and said 'this is a necklace' give it to your >daughter for her birthday You'd open it right? >If you didn't open it and it turned out to be >naked photos (or something else a young child >shouldn't be exposed to) who would ultimately >be at fault..? You would for not checking it >out first.
And if I did "check it out", and it LOOKED like a necklace, and I gave it to her, and a tiny, concealed hypodermic needle popped out and injected her with a highly addictive drug, would it still be my fault, because I didn't x-ray the thing? I don't think so; I think the scumbag who tricked me would be at fault!
But then, I think the phrase "let the buyer beware" is just good advice, and NOT an excuse for scumbags to get away with fooling those who aren't clever (or paranoid) enough to catch them at it!
"C’mon Sony, what’s the first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole?"
Sony corporate policy rule #917:
When you find yourself in a hole it is company policy to grab a shovel and find out just how deep you can dig it.
This may have been posted someplace else, but there is a law firm in SF that is investigating the possibility of bringing a class action suit. See http://www.classcounsel.com/index.html. See also the link below for an interesting analysis on the potential DMCA implications to those attempting to remove the DRM: http://news.com.com/Why+they+say+spyware+is+good+for+you/2010-1071_3-5934150.html
I love these responses! We should compile a list and forward them to Sony!
I'm sure Sony will shortly release a fix for "infected" machines and a way to remove the DRM from existing CDs. Of course. . . . . . this "fix" will be intoduced to the public via a newly enhanced memory stick format compatible with absolutely nothing else . . . and available via separate purchase.
It's funny Sony's hardware divisions used to make video's and tape players etc which sold pretty well and people could use them as they pleased. They then buy up a few film studios and record companies, create a 'digital media division' whatever that is, and it seems to be the tail that wags the dog, they get to specify what the hardware will and won't play. I can't see myself buying any sony hardware again - and as for their music, don't even get me started.
#9 Free Speech does have a point though. Ultimately flaw or exploit, Sony isn't the only company doing it and DRM isn't the only way monopolizing companies exploit you. Google anyone? Microsoft anyone? You shouldn't bang on Free Speech just cause he disagrees with alot of "followers" to this DRM case cause. Why is it that this needs to be attacked so aggressively and not anything else? Is it just "fun" because you just want everything to be cheap? Imagine opening a company and giving everything away and not thinking about profit? You wouldn't survive. The harsh reality is that this world is cut-throat, and as Free Speech said, "every company has their own share".
Yeah but do you let Himmler go because other nazi's were killing people too? That dog just won't hunt.
What kills me is the irony in that the legal landmark of the 80's that opened the door for distribution of media and protected the rights of the end user was called "The BetaMax Decision."
Cyber Bob:
This isn't about DRM. And no-one here said anything about wanting "everything to be cheap". This is about a trojan installing a rootkit that compromises the security of a PC without the knowledge or consent of the user. It needs to be "attacked so aggressively" and brought to the public's attention because it affects people who otherwise would not even know what was happening to their computer.
I wonder if future Sony PC's (vaios and whatnot) will automatically include this DRM/rootkit when shipped?
Some people seem to be under the impression here that Sony == Sony BMG, which is not the case. This DRM fiasco will not make me boycott *all* Sony products. That is retarded. There has also been a lot of talk in other Sony branches about what the inclusion of hardware-based DRM might do to their sales and customer relations. Yes, I will still make a choice whether to buy a PS3, PSP, GameCube, Revolution or the X360, but this recent uproar against *Sony BMG* doesn't make me hate Sony electronics in general. If you are going to boycott something, do it right after you've heard all the facts, and not just rumors.
Now, to actually stay in topic and not go to a tangent: Thomas Hesse's comment is a prime example of what's wrong with the major record labels these days. Labels go to great lenghts to protect their "assets" that they turn a blind eye to consumers as long as the company selling a copy-protection to them say "our method is the best thing out there right now, and that's what's going to put and end to rampant copying of *your* music". And the execs gobble it up hook, line, and sinker.
It's ironic that the music isn't really theirs, although that's the given impression in their statements. What's more ironic is that the artists don't even know that their records have such intrusive copy control methods. Hesse seems to be the Public Enemy No.1 right now and has certainly dug the hole Sony BMG is in a whole lot deeper...
The future doesn't look too promising for First 4 Internet either, as they are now portrayed as an incompetent, GPL-code stealing spyware company by many. As ramifications of Sony's actions grow larger, I'm pretty sure F4I will be thorougly dragged in as well.
We'll see how the story develops...