Derek Bodner’s Blog

Sony has reached a tentative settlement for the rootkit fiasco. According to the article, users affected get the choice of a cash payment of $7.50 and a promotion code allowing them to download 1 free album or they could download 3 free albums.

Two issues with this. First, by doing simple match, is Sony saying that one of their albums is only worth $3.75 each? Yet when a 15 year old kid downloads one of these albums, it’s a multi-thousand dollar infringement.

Second, and most importantly, does anybody think this is fair compensation for the damage Sony has caused? Here they go, putting backdoors on peoples computers without their knowledge or consent, and this is their punishment? Ask the people infected if $7.50 covers the time it took to rebuild their machine. Ask people who were potentially victims if identity fraud if this covers their worries.

Outrageous on all levels.