[A2k] EFF: Judge Grants Final Approval for Sony BMG CD Settlement

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: EFF: Judge Grants Final Approval for Sony BMG CD
Settlement
Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 11:53:57 -0700
From: EFF Press <press@eff.org>
To: presslist@eff.org

Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release

For Immediate Release: Monday, May 22, 2006

Contact:

Kurt Opsahl
   Staff Attorney
   Electronic Frontier Foundation
   kurt@eff.org
   +1 415 436-9333 x106

Cindy Cohn
   Legal Director
   Electronic Frontier Foundation
   cindy@eff.org
   +1 415 436-9333 x108 (office), +1 415 307-2148 (cell)

Judge Grants Final Approval for Sony BMG CD Settlement

Customers Will Get Compensation for Flawed Copy-Protection

New York - A U.S. District Court judge in New York gave final
approval Monday to a settlement for music fans who purchased Sony
BMG music CDs containing flawed copy protection programs.

"This settlement gets music fans what they thought they were
buying in the first place: music that will play on all their
electronic devices without installing sneaky software," said
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Legal Director Cindy Cohn.

The claim process actually began back in February and provides
anyone who purchased Sony BMG CDs that included First4Internet
XCP and SunnComm MediaMax software with the same music without
digital rights management (DRM).  Some people are also eligible
for additional downloads or a small cash settlement.  Anyone who
bought one of the affected CDs should start the claims process at
http://www.eff.org/sony.

"Participating in the settlement is a way to show Sony BMG -- and
the entire entertainment industry -- how important this issue is
to you," said Cohn.  "If you take the time to claim the product
you deserve, maybe other music labels will think twice before
wrapping songs in DRM."

The problems with the Sony BMG CDs surfaced last year when
security researchers discovered that XCP and MediaMax installed
undisclosed -- and in some cases, hidden -- files on users'
Windows computers, potentially exposing music fans to malicious
attacks by third parties.  The infected CDs also communicated
back to Sony BMG about customers' computer use without proper
notification.

In addition to compensating consumers, Sony BMG was forced to
stop manufacturing CDs with both First4Internet XCP and SunnComm
MediaMax software.  The settlement also waives several
restrictive end user license agreement (EULA) terms and commits
Sony BMG to a detailed security review process prior to including
any DRM on future CDs.

EFF and its co-counsel -- Green Welling LLP; Lerach, Coughlin,
Stoia, Geller, Ruchman and Robbins; and the Law Offices of
Lawrence E. Feldman and Associates -- along with a coalition of
other plaintiffs' class action counsel, reached the settlement
after negotiations with Sony BMG in December of 2005.

For more on the Sony BMG settlement:
http://www.eff.org/sony/

For this release:
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_05.php#004693

About EFF

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil liberties
organization working to protect rights in the digital world.
Founded in 1990, EFF actively encourages and challenges industry
and government to support free expression and privacy online. EFF
is a member-supported organization and maintains one of the most
linked-to websites in the world at http://www.eff.org/

     -end-

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