DRM Weekend: Beastie Boys, Too

Security Focus is reporting that the newest Beastie Boys album is another shot in the DRM Wars across the bows of innocent CD collectors. The lovely extra wrinkly in this particular bedsheet is that the CD automatically installs DRM software onto the users computer, when inserted, without asking permission! This allegedly attacks both Windows and MacOS computers.

It seems that Capitol Records has some sort of new copy protection system, that automatically, silently, installs "helpful" copy protection software on MacOS and Windows as soon as you insert the CD into default systems. I'm not sure exactly what it does yet, but I am sure regreting actually purchasing said media now...They include some sort of uninstaller buried on there for Windows, but I see no such thing for MacOS...

This kind of behavior is inexcusable and equivilent to having some technology that you bring into your house automatically change all the locks. Who knows what kind of back doors could be added to your computer, or what kind of "phone home" apps could be installed to allow a record company to gather info on you? And what is to stop a hacker from discretely adding his/her own malicious code to such apps? I am sure the record companies will claim no such software exists now, but it is only a matter of time once you start down this slippery slope. And many users are quite peeved about this. Buyers beware... or buy thru the iTunes Music Store, where you at least know about any copy protections, up-front.