Talk:Extended Copy Protection

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I don't recall if the XCP software was installed even if a person clicked "No" when asked if they accepted the licensing terms, but recall reading something like it somewhere. Does anyone have a specific reference? If so, it should be included in the "Description" section. Zed 12:09, 26 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please make sure you are writing from the Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view. Comments such as "after their customer service representative grills you as to the reasons you are uninstalling it" and "defeating the purpose of having copy protection in the first place" are clearly a biased interpretation.

Also, if you are going to make broad claims such as "It has come under much criticism", "this software has been termed a root kit by technical experts", or "which they rarely do if the CD is opened", please provide more solid evidence for your claims. A single article by Mark Russinovich IMO is not sufficient evidence to claim the software is a "root kit" as determined by "technical experts", and the F-Secure report specifically states "the software isn't itself malicious".

Yes, you may think DRM is evil and Sony are the devil, but it's important for this article to remain neutral.

--203.45.114.193 14:40, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The less than neutral parts of the article have now been edited, Not that I am the origional author nor an apologist for Sony.

However your other points regarding the characterision of this product have been left as there is quite a lot of evidence that it does use rootkit-like technology; and rather poorly at that given the security issues this software generates on users PC.

Mark Russinovich is widely respected expert in his field and many respect his analysis of this software. I have no reason to doubt this at the moment.

It may be that this software is relativly benign; and further analysis will show that in due course.

However any software which uses the rootkit-like evasion and hiding techniques must remain suspect; and with potentially dangerious security holes it cannot be taken at face value.

SimonZerafa 16:40, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Warden

Is there any reason to mention XCP's connection with World of Warcraft cheating? -- Myria 06:55, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Note that the Vivian Green album is not in the EFF list ...

However, see here.

Could someone who actually has this album check?

70.231.128.95 01:32, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

NPOV info on albums

I've tried to include as npov a blurb on each of the album pages as possible. Here is the text I've pasted:

In November 2005, it was revealed that Sony was distributing albums with Extended Copy Protection, a controversial feature that automatically installed rootkit software on any Microsoft Windows machine upon insertion of the disc. In addition to preventing the CDs contents from being copied, it was also revealed that the software reported the users' listening habits back to Sony and also exposed the computer to malicious attacks that exploited insecure features of the rootkit software. Though Sony refused to release a list of the affected CDs, the Electronic Frontier Foundation identified ALBUM NAME as one of the discs with the invasive software.

I added this along with a link to the eff article.

Are You Affected By Sony-BMG's Rootkit? (November 9, 2005) from Electronic Frontier Foundation

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions. It is important that the tone of these blurbs remains NPOV and as unaccusative as possible, while still informing consumers as to actual risks. If I have missed any album articles, please add the blurb where you see fit. --DropDeadGorgias (talk) 20:50, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Why not make this text a template to allow for easy insertion to CD pages? For example, see Template:Extended Copy Protection Warning --epsalon 15:46, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's not a good idea to have a template which looks like article text. --cesarb 15:56, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I see. So maybe redesign the template as some kind of box to put on these pages? --epsalon 16:00, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

On WikiProject Albums' talk page I already suggested creating a template similar to Template:Copycontrol for affected albums... --Fritz Saalfeld (Talk) 16:03, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You could make it italic and indented like the stub and disambiguation messages. --cesarb 16:34, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think putting it in italics would contradict Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#Italics. I'd rather just have it as plain text. --Fritz Saalfeld (Talk) 18:54, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Macs Not Totally Immune

According to this Blog post by the guy that runs O'Grady's PowerPage, there is a Mac OS X app on said audio discs. If the user so chooses, they can enter their admin password and let two kernel extentions be installed.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=35

BMIkit?

I just reverted a change that said that XCP was also known as "BMIkit". Who calls it that? google just asks if we meant "BizKit". What does BMIkit stand for?

ProveIt 00:23, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Please Help!

I bought US version of The Dead 60s, and it's the one with the extended copy protection (or whatever). I want to put it into my iTunes, but can someone tell me what will happen if I try to rip it? I may just be dumb, but I didn't really find out from the article...Please please please help me! Starla Dear 23:51, 5 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to the article, you will mostly record noise rather than the music you intend to rip. The software will also keep your hardware way busy, thus shortening its lifespan, and wreck your CD drivers if you fail to remove it properly.

Try to find someone with a Macintosh or Linux system and rip the CD there. Or, for the heck of it, download the MP3s via File Sharing Software. While this probably constitutes as a criminal offense in the US (heck, just look at the DMCA if you don't believe the country is that screwed up), but at least you're not ethically doing anything wrong as you're only "stealing" (and I am using that word very loosely here) something you already have.

If you don't have friends with less vulnerable OSs and happen to live in corporate America, I guess your best bet is to send the CD in for a DRM-free replacement as the article suggests. I have my doubts that this is as cost-free for non-US residents, though. -- Ashmodai 06:18, 24 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Starla Dear 23:21, 31 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Stupid License Agreements

As I do have XCP on my comp, (actually, two of them) how can I get it off? Preferably without leaving my comps vulnerable to viruses, of course. Perosnally, I think that should be delat with in the article.64.235.108.251 04:14, 30 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The reason that isn't in the article is that it's simpler to save your files, format the hard drive, and reinstall Windows than actually remove the damn thing. That's part of what's got everybody upset. -Toptomcat 17:25, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]