Sony DRM Debacle roundup Part VI

Here's the sixth installment of the Sony DRM Debacle, tracing the history of all the misdeeds committed by Sony when it covertly installed malicious software on millions of music fans' PCs in order to restrict their ability to make lawful copies of their music. See the bottom of the post for links to the previous five installments of this story:

December 26, 2005: Sony store still selling rootkit CDs

A Consumerist reader discovers Sony rootkit CDs still on sale at the Sony Store in Westchester, NY, despite Sony's assurance that it has withdrawn the CDs.

December 30, 2005: EFF and Sony BMG Reach Preliminary Settlement on rootkit

EFF brings Sony to heel on its illegal practice of sneaking malicious software onto your PC.

January 1, 2006: Sony may be liable on federal criminal statutes

Ed Felten has posted about the question that must scare Sony the most: have they committed a criminal act by distributing music CDs with spyware and rootkits on them?

January 1, 2006: Texas sues Sony over spyware as well as rootkits

Texas's Attorney General has announced that he will expand his existing lawsuit against Sony to include damages for CDs infected with Sunncomm's MediaMax spyware.

January 4, 2006: Florida may sue Sony, too

Florida's attorney general opens an investigation into Sony's DRM shenanigans.

January 5, 2006: Law student files rootkit small-claim against Sony

Mark Lyon, the law student who runs SonySuit.com has filed a personal small claim against Sony for the damage done to his PC when he played one of the company's audio discs.

January 5, 2006: Sony sued for spyware and rootkits in Canada

Three class actions against Sony start in Canada.

January 25, 2006: Graphic of Sony sinking its roots into your life

Metin Sevin produced a lovely CGI image of Sony's malicious software sinking destructive taproots into your PC

January 26, 2006, How the malicious software on Sony CDs works

Princeton's Ed Felten and Alex Halderman begin the premlinary publication of a major paper on the Sony DRM Debacle, seeking comment on each section before final publication.

January 28, 2006: Can DRM be future-proof?

Another installment in Princeton's Felten and Halderman's ongoing draft publication of their white-paper on the Sony DRM debacle.

January 29, 2006: How DRM tries to resist uninstalling

Another installment in Princeton's Felten and Halderman's ongoing draft publication of their white-paper on the Sony DRM debacle.

January 30, 2006: How do music CDs infect your computer with DRM?

Another installment in Princeton's Felten and Halderman's ongoing draft publication of their white-paper on the Sony DRM debacle.

January 31, 2006: CD DRM software players are amateurish and easy to trick

Another installment in Princeton's Felten and Halderman's ongoing draft publication of their white-paper on the Sony DRM debacle.

February 1, 2006: Sony-BMG chairman giving public speech in London tomorrow

A chance to heckle the chairman of Sony-BMG's board for Londoners!

February 2, 2006: Canadians suing Sony some more for infecting music CDs

A Canadian class-action suit against Sony launches, alleging that Sony gave Canadians an even worse deal by not withdrawing its products form the Canadian market at the same time that it recalled them in the US.

February 4, 2006: Sony CD spyware vendor caves to EFF demands

SunnComm, the vendor who supplied Sony with the dangerous MediaMax spyware, has complied with all the demands set out in EFF's open letter to the company.

February 6, 2006: Settlement details for people infected by Sony DRM CDs

Here's the details of the class-action settlement that you can opt into if you were infected by Sony's DRM.

February 8, 2006: Court asked to overturn Sony's DRM class-action settlement

An appeals court has been asked to overturn the Sony class-action settlement on the grounds that some of Sony's victims want the chance to sue separately right away.

February 14, 2006: Princeton DRM researchers release Sony debacle paper

Princeton's Ed Felten and Alex Halderman have published the final version of "Lessons from the Sony CD DRM Episode."

February 15, 2006: Bruce Sterling on Sony DRM debacle

Bruce Sterling's Wired editorial raises the key question: what gives companies the right to install remote-control software on our PCs?

Previous installments of the Sony DRM Debacle Roundup: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V

(Sony taproot graphic courtesy of Sevensheaven)