Sony BMG is in quite a mess. It turns out that a number of CDs released by the company contain dangerous digital rights management (DRM) software that can comprimise computer performance and security. Even better: The software is virtually undetectable to users.
A lot of people got understandably upset about this. After word spread, Sony issued a temporary recall for the affected CDs and released a software patch, which was also found to have problems. Microsoft has also issued its own patch for Windows XP machines.
This is another example of a company treating its customers like criminals, and in the process, encouraging "criminal" behavior. As a customer who purchases a lot of music, I must ask myself: Why should I ever buy a Sony BMG CD again? I play most of my CDs on my computer or rip them and put them on my iPod. A lot of people broke their computers by doing just that. It sure would be a lot easier (and safer) to download those albums illegally (not that I’m promoting that behavior).
There are a lot of consumers who feel the way I do, and I don’t think Sony BMG wins any PR points by recalling the CDs and releasing a flawed patch. They’ve shattered consumer confidence. Now I wonder how or if they’ll attempt to win it back.
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