Copyright isn’t sometimes RIGHT
Media companies have long tried to stop people from copying data from the unprotected audio CD format. During development of the platform, no copy protection schemes were planned as users did not have access to any CD duplicating products and it didn't seem as a threat. It was much later when technologies like MP3, and file sharing actually started competing with long used audio tape piracy industry, when the record labels and artists realised the enormity of the situation. A lot of companies have employed various methods that allowed songs to be played on standalone systems but not be copied through computers. Sony itself has made numerous attempts of trying to stop illegal CD copying to the extent of producing CDs that had intentional errors in them to confuse software based players.
Recently the media giant has had it's fingers snapped with the ill-fated plan to hide rootkit enabled XCP software in it's audio CDs. This rootkit application stealthily installed itself with administrator rights when the disc was inserted in an unprotected computer. Thus enabling it to restrict or in some cases disable media copying from the system. It went to the extent of disabling CD writing software and hardware. Some hackers even found some ports opened by the application in compromised systems, that could be used to hack into the computer to steal data or install malicious software.
All these unplanned developments opened up a pandora's box for Sony and the company had a pretty tough time defending itself from the wrath of buyers as neither the users were ready to pay nor was the industry. After a long legal battle that continued for weeks, the jury made Sony pay through their nose. The company had to pay $7,50,000 as penalty to the state, additionally it had to give $175 to each concerned buyer.
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