the world according to Jared W. Smith » 2005 » November » 21 http://jaredwsmith.com A weblog by Jared Smith about technology, weather, the social media scene, and whatever else comes to mind. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:25:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Texas, EFF sues Sony-BMG over rootkit http://jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/texas-eff-sues-sony-bmg-over-rootkit/ http://jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/texas-eff-sues-sony-bmg-over-rootkit/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2005 22:42:33 +0000 Jared Smith http://www.jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/texas-eff-sues-sony-bmg-over-rootkit/ Texas and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have filed suit against Sony BMG over their “rootkit” digital rights management scheme, which installs files that directly alter the operation of the Windows operating system surreptitiously on users’ machines when they insert particular Sony audio CDs, in order to prevent people from removing the digital rights management protection enclosed on said discs. The result is a system that is wide open to attack.

Bravo - I hope more state AGs decide to file suit, as schemes like this must be taken seriously and put to a stop. It’s refreshing to see that people in power realize that what is ours is ours, and while protecting intellectual property is generally important, it’s also important not to infringe on a user’s right to run his computer as he sees fit.

]]> http://jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/texas-eff-sues-sony-bmg-over-rootkit/feed/ Stepping out for a smoke at 36,000 feet… http://jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/stepping-out-for-a-smoke-at-36000-feet/ http://jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/stepping-out-for-a-smoke-at-36000-feet/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2005 17:03:52 +0000 Jared Smith http://www.jaredwsmith.com/2005/11/21/stepping-out-for-a-smoke-at-36000-feet/ CNN:

A French woman who is terrified of flying admitted in an Australian court Monday that she drunkenly tried to open an airplane door mid-flight to smoke a cigarette.

I’m speechless.

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