Sony BMG album mar your PC? Here's $150

Although it seems like Sony BMG has been paying for its devious inclusions on certain records for quite some time, it looks like the joint venture will now be coughing even more dollars to compensate those affected. US regulators have now said that the company "agreed to reimburse consumers up to $150 for damage to their computers from CDs with hidden anti-piracy software," which comes on top of allowing customers the ability to exchange the album if they so desire. Moreover, Sony BMG must now "provide an uninstall tool and patches to repair the security vulnerabilities on consumers' computers" for another two years, and if its hand hadn't been slapped enough, it can no longer "collect information for marketing purposes" nor "install software without consumer consent." Great, we're elated that someone up there understands that this DRM gauntlet isn't the way to go, so why are we still fighting the agenda in so many other areas?

[telepheedian @ Jan 30th 2007 4:00PM]

I'm actually beginning to wish I bought one, especially if I didn't take it out of the package.

[Johnny @ Jan 30th 2007 4:31PM]

"Great, we're elated that someone up there understands that this DRM gauntlet isn't the way to go..."

You're confusing the issue. This punishment isn't anti-DRM, it's anti-rootkit. There's a difference. It's all about preventing companies from installing spyware and malware on customer's computers. It has little/nothing to do with copy protection. Yes, the Sony BMG malware was intended to enforce DRM, but the copy-protection aspect of things is not what the regulator's corrective action is trying to address.

It's still great news, just not particularly on the DRM front.

[Castle @ Jan 30th 2007 5:16PM]

Damn wish I bought a couple of those damn CDs, buy 7 and you have yourself more then a grand.

[SteveZ @ Jan 30th 2007 5:32PM]

Sony has to ask themselves: Are the millions of dollars of losses worth the money they may have saved/made by imposing DRM upon the consumers? Does it reduce piracy or increase sales? Or just an idea gone wrong?

[NeoteriX @ Jan 30th 2007 6:26PM]

I've got two CDs and the rootkit was on my PC before I reformatted.

...Uh where do I go exactly?

[Trent @ Jan 31st 2007 2:45PM]

The penalty was not even close to being stern enough. Sony got off easy.

Don't buy Sony crap please.

[fromthewoods @ Apr 5th 2007 4:00PM]

@ NeoteriX - I second that... my wife bought one of these CD's and played it on her PC.

Does anyone know if this reimbursement is happening now or in the near future? I want $150 of Sony's money!!