And the Sony debacle continues. Bad enough that Sony issued their rootkit. Now it appears that the guys who wrote it swiped code from others to help get the job done.
It still bafles me that a company the size of Sony managed this whole process as badly as they did from beginning to end. My only fear is that lost in firestorm about the code itself, Sony will find a way to scapegoat the programmers and will continue to hatch even more convoluted and painful DRM schemes.
Sony rootkit author asked for free code to lock up music – Cory Doctorow: First4Internet ripped off code from at least two free/open source software projects for the malicious rootkit program they supplied to Sony. Yesterday, I posted some old mailing list and newsgroup messages from First4Internet programmers where they were seeking advice on breaking peoples’ computers.
Now, Baz and Alexander have found this old newsgroup post from a First4Internet programmer offering cash if someone will do his homework for him. Later, code from the free/open source software project LAME (which does some of what this programmer was trying to do) showed up in a First4Internet product.
I know it sounds like I am just after some free code due to my laziness but I really dont have the time and I am serious about the cash – I really need this functionality!
Link (Thanks, Alexander and Baz!)
Previous installments of the Sony Rootkit Roundup: Part I, Part II, Part III
(Cool Sony CD image courtesy of Collapsibletank)
(Via Boing Boing)
