When Lars Ulrich went after Napster, Metallica had officially become a sell-out. It spearheaded work for Digital Rights Management (DRM) that would forever change the way you and I listen to music on our PC and DAP.

While digital media in the form of computer files were pretty easy to attach DRM onto, such as Windows Media and Apple iTunes files, Compact Discs were a bit tougher to protect. Simple Sharpies could break the copy protection on earlier CDs. But now Sony is using a very, very, hardcore DRM that not only prevents you from copying the songs from the disc but it also well help any person with half a brain to create malware! That’s right, Sony - the very company that fought so hard to allow video tape recordings in the late ’70s - has just released the first easy-to-use rootkit for the world to employ. Is it time to start the Sony boycott?

Mark Russinovich of Mark’s Sysinternals Blog writes:

I entered the company name into my Internet browser’s address bar and went to [the site]. I searched for both the product name and Aries.sys, but came up empty. However, the fact that the company sells a technology called XCP made me think that maybe the files I’d found were part of some content protection scheme. I Googled the company name and came across this article, confirming the fact that they have deals with several record companies, including Sony, to implement Digital Rights Management (DRM) software for CDs.

[Read Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far]

Tags: sony, drm, rootkit, digital rights management, aries.sys, $sys$