Sony: Asshats extraordinaire.

Alright, I would apologize for the sporradic posting schedule, but most of you who read this blog know me very well, and you know what my schedule is like. Anyway, for those of you who aren't hip to the recent shit, here's what Sony has been in the news for of recent:

A technical dissection by the mighty Mark Russinovich of Sony's rootkit-based DRM. Sony uses genuine black-hat techniques to install a rootkit, even choosing a Windows-sounding name for a service just like your favourite backdoor, and about as easy to detect or remove. Basically, Sony puts the sort of malware on its customers' PCs that the rest of the world spends alot of money fighting.
(from BoingBoing.net[Link])

There you have it. I have been asked many times why I prefer the shadier methods of aquiring music when I, as a musician, see the plight of "my people," I often have to respond with a soft sigh, and a concise "...because the musicians aren't making money off their albums. The record companies are." They are (and have been for some time) screwing the artists, and now, thanks to Sony's blatant move, show that they are trying (and have been for some time) to screw you, the consumer.

The EFF has released a list of CDs that contain the machine-crippling rootkit, and it's a damn shame, because there are a few albums that I would have bought. [Link] How long will the members of the RIAA use the wonderfully successful business model of "screw everyone" before they realize that people are starting to open their eyes and close their wallets? This whole mess makes me want to fire up Azureus [Link] and start the downloading... 'Cause fuck 'em, that's why.