http://www.theinq.net/?article=27349

Some copy protected CDs put out by Sony install software known as a rootkit when you insert the disc in your drive. A rootkit changes the way Windows operates so that it can't be detected, which is a tactic used by some viruses. And this particular rootkit can allow a virus to easily screw up your system.

One more reason to turn off autoplay for your CD drives. And yes, for you Macheads, it doesn't seem to affect OSX.

Ahhh, many thanks.

Windows XP - Solution 1
Right-click on the drive icon for your CD drive, CD recorder, or DVD drive, and select Properties.
Choose the AutoPlay tab, and choose the desired action for each type of CD. For example, choose Music CD, then click Select an action to perform, then select Take no action.

Fucking Sony.

when will they learn? there's never going to be unbeatable copyright protection, period. at some point it has to be converted into an intelligible audio signal, and you'll always be able to grab that on its way to the speakers. they might succeed in making it very difficult to make an exact 1:1 digital copy of a CD, but for people who share mp3s, a little bit of quality loss isn't all that big of a deal. although i give this sony shit three months before its cracked completely

Did you read the detailed analysis of how the guy found it and what it took to remove it? Man that shit sucks.

Sony's been putting this crap on many (but not all - strange) of their discs since late spring. They've spread the effort across their many sublabels, so it's hard to guess what release is going to have it and what is not. For instance, jazz-rock trio The Bad Plus released a new album on Columbia (owned by Sony) back in October and it was sadled with copy protection. Columbia just released Trey Anastasio's new album yesterday and it apparently does not have copy protection. But the new Dave Matthews did (on RCA, owned by Sony,) and so did the new David Gray (on ATO, owned by, you guessed it, Sony.) I'd love to know what the criteria for applying this crap is.

Anyway, regardless of whether you plan to buy Sony-related products, you should at least voice your opinion. They need to know how unhappy people are about this crap. Contact them here.

i love the internet for this reason.
someone has already solved the problem that i will encounter

Complaint email sent.

If their coding leads to a virus attack, and the presence of this code was not made known to the victims, what's the likelihood of a whopping huge class action suit?

The new Amerie CD, like many new CDs these days is "copy-protected" or some shit, but I noticed that when the "WARNING - PLEASE INSTALL SPYWARE/VIRUS/SONY PROGRAM" screen comes up when you first put the CD in the drive, you can force the AutoPlay program to close by doing a Ctrl/Alt/Delete combo on it.

After that, I can burn MP3s of the songs without any problem.

I must amend my previous post: the new Trey Anastasio DOES have copy protection on it. Buyer beware. Crap.

Of course this begs the question of the most effective way to retaliate. I considered cancelling my BMG subscription, but then I figure, they'll lose lots more money mailing me cd's I don't order and having me return them at their cost.

Hint: Cancel whatever credit card you have on file with them, then they can only invoice you instead of charging you automatically.

I checked for rootkits on my computer, and don' have none.

I am boycotting Sony.

kill puppy kill!

the big 5 (now 4?) suck. burn 'em all. start with mariah carey's hair.

That's a good question. I've started to refuse to buy the copy-controlled discs regardless of how much I want them, and then go on-line and seek out pirated copies - but I trade CDRs so much anyway that that isn't much of a retaliation. There's gotta be a good way to hit back at these fuckers.