The Electronic Frontier Foundation is urging music fans who purchased Sony BMG music CDs containing flawed digital rights management to submit their claims now for clean CDs and extra downloads as part of a class action lawsuit settlement.
“This settlement gives consumers what they thought they were buying in the first place — clean, safe music that will play on their computers and their iPods as well as their stereo systems,” said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl.
Anyone who purchased Sony BMG CDs that included First4Internet XCP and SunnComm MediaMax software can receive the same music without DRM. Some will also get downloads of other Sony BMG music from several different services, including iTunes. Music fans have through the end of the year to participate in the settlement, and they should receive their compensation within six to eight weeks of submitting their claim forms. Customers can find out more about the settlement and how to submit their claims at http://www.eff.org/sony.
The problems with the Sony BMG CDs surfaced 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 terms and commits Sony BMG to a detailed security review process prior to including any DRM on future CDs.
“This settlement got music fans a fair shake in exchange for a raw deal,” said EFF Staff Attorney Corynne McSherry. “If you were upset about this DRM debacle, submitting your claim is one way to show the entertainment industry that you want to be treated with respect and fairness.”
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.
