Mar 4

Mar 4 Harsh Realities of Windows 7, "Standalone" Devices, and Cloud Computing

Apple, Cloud Computing, Complexity, Media, Sony, Technology, Television, Vaio, Windows, iPad

Ed Bott’s Windows Activation Technologies: an unauthorized inside look is a look at what happens when Windows 7 automatically gathers and sends encrypted data describing your Windows 7 installation back to Microsoft so Microsoft can see if you are running an authorized copy of Windows.

Feb 14
Feb 14 Halderman & Felten's "Sony CD DRM" Paper Published

Dennis D. McDonald

Copyright, DRM, Sony

J. Alex Halderman and Edward W. Felten have published their "Lessons from the Sony CD DRM Episode" after an open and collaborative publishing and review cycle on their Freedom to Tinker blog. In my review I've tried to hit what I think are the high points. I recommend the entire paper to anyone interested in the complex relationship between the music business and technology given continued erosion of the music CD's market viability.

Jan 20
Jan 20 Sony, Apple, and Oranges

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Sony, iTunes

Recent events have pointed out how differently these two companies operate.

Dec 9
Dec 9 When DRM Uses Spyware Techniques

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Industry Analysis, Sony

There are a couple of interesting discussion threads going on over at the Freedom to Tinker blog. One is called Not Just Another Buggy Program, the other CD Copy Protection: The Road to Spyware. I reproduce one of my comments below, but I suggest interested readers check out the entire threads if you're interested in some of the business and strategic aspects of what Sony is doing.

Nov 28
Nov 28 Sony Responds to My Santana Inquiry

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Sony

A while back I tried to find out from Sony whether the new Santana album contained the dreaded "rootkit" software.I received an email from SOny today instructing me on how to remove the XCP "rootkit" software. Only problem is, the new Santana album uses Sunncomm copy restrictions software. This may have just been a simple error but I do feel sorry for the people who have to mop up this sad affair.

Nov 18
Nov 18 The Sony DRM Debacle Raises Bigger Questions

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Sony

Perhaps Sony BMG's mistake was that, out of technical ignorance, it let the technology manage its business processes, not the other way around. It sounds like Sony BMG did not understand how to manage those things it thought it had under its direct control (the DRM software in question). This is despite the fact that Sony's other divisions create industry leading consumer and professional technology.

Nov 9
Nov 9 Blogging and Corporate Damage Control

Dennis D. McDonald

Blogging, DRM, Governance, Sony

A question I’m researching is how companies might be able to use blogs to support important communication functions such as project management, employee relations, and damage control.

Nov 7
Nov 7 Sony Rootkit "Phones Home"? (Smells like ... DIVX?)

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Privacy, Sony

Checking my RSS news feeds this morning I discovered several postings around the Web that seem to say that Sony's original "rootkit" DRM not only hides itself in the bowels of the Windows operating system, it also installs a mechanism whereby, when the CD's "play" command is selected, information is sent back via the web to Sony about that event.

Nov 3
Nov 3 Fallout from the Sony BMG "Rootkit" DRM Debacle

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Industry Analysis, Sony

Sony is issuing software patches through the Internet. Mainstream media (such as this morning's Washington Post) have picked up the story. There's no telling how this will spin out. At minimum, it will make more people suspicious of music publishers.

Nov 2
Nov 2 Is The New Santana Album Infected?

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Sony

I got an email this morning from Apple announcing the availability of the new Santana album via the Apple music service through iTunes. Since I don't buy through iTunes anymore (I'm concerned about DRM incompatibility and incompatible shifts in the platform in the future) I decided to investigate buying the CD. I know, I've publicly sworn off music CD's due to DRM incompatibility issues, but I've been listening to Santana ever since Woodstock.

Nov 1
Nov 1 What is a "rootkit"? (Sony and DRM)

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Sony

What is a "rootkit"? Till this morning I didn't know. Then I read about Sony's use of "rootkit technology" for implementing their Digital Rights Management (DRM) system from their "protected" music CD's.

Sep 7
Sep 7 Would Stanley Kubrick Laugh?

Dennis D. McDonald

DRM, Humor, Sony

Remember the scene in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey where NASA official Heywood Floyd, on his way to the Moon, stops to read the lengthy zero-gravity toilet instructions? It’s one of the few humorous moments in this film and usually gets a laugh.