Putting a SONY music CD in your computer will install software on your computer that can leave it vulnerable to hackers.

Apparently the Sony software:

Hides itself on your computer

Cannot be removed

Is exploited by several new viruses

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/11/sony.copyprotection.ap/

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/11/10/sony.hack.reut/

By John on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 10:57 am:

Partial list of SONY CDs containing the software:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004144.php

By Sunny on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:00 pm:

Bump

My oldest son warned me about this last week. He went so far as to tell me I should boycott Sony CDs.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:12 pm:

Thanks for the heads-up, John!

By Missbookworm on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:38 pm:

I saw an article about this in the paper the other day. It says they're discontinuing making them but it didn't say when.

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:56 pm:

Sony has a patch on its website that is supposed to remove this spyware. The problem is, the file that downloads is a hidden file, and if you try to remove it yourself you can disable your CD player or crash your computer. Also check your virus protection - they may have added something to overcome this, given all the publicity.

By John on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 06:50 am:

The lawsuits are starting:

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14414&hed=Sony+Spyware+Draws+Lawsuits

By Ginny~moderator on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 07:40 am:

Apparently the patch Sony provides removes the offending program, but leaves your computer vulnerable to taking instructions from *any* web site.

http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=927

This site offers an additional solution to shut down the problem with the Sony patch, but with no guarantees that it will really solve the problem.

If I had played a Sony CD in my computer in the past year, I'd first try to find out if the CD was one with the mal-program being discussed. If it was and I had this stuff on my computer, I would back up everything I want to save, and take my computer to Best Buy or some other tech place to have the hard drive reformatted and all my programs reloaded.

I do understand the problems that stealing music by downloading has caused the music and entertainment industry, and I believe taking music or entertainment without paying for it is, plain and simple, theft. But I also believe the music industry and the rest of the entertainment industry is going way overboard in reaction, and what Sony has done is totally inexcusable.