Sony BMG Settles Anti-Piracy CDs Charges (up to $150 for damage to their computers)

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070130/D8MVM3MO1.html

Sony BMG Settles Anti-Piracy CDs Charges

Jan 30, 10:18 AM (ET)

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. regulators said Tuesday that Sony BMG Music Entertainment agreed to reimburse consumers up to $150 for damage to their computers from CDs with hidden anti-piracy software.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, which announced the settlement with the big media company, its anti-piracy software limited the devices on which music could be played to those made by Sony Corp. (SNE) (SNE) or Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) It also restricted the number of copies that could be made and monitored consumers' listening habits to send them marketing messages.

The FTC said the software also "exposed consumers to significant security risks and was unreasonably difficult to uninstall."

The settlement requires the company to allow consumers to exchange through the end of June the affected CDs purchased before Dec. 31, 2006, and reimburse them up to $150 to repair damage done when they tried to remove the software. It also requires Sony BMG to clearly disclose limitations on consumers' use of music CDs, bars it from using collected information for marketing and prohibits it from installing software without consumer consent.

FULL story at link.

[Ignacio Upton]

1. Good

Hopefully this will set back DRM technology.