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Every Day: The Best of the Verve Years
- Joe Williams
- Joe Williams was Figure Two in my three-man education in singing. A brilliant vocalist, scatter, and interpreter of jazz and blues, Williams produces music that's totally unique, yet sounds so effortl
- Jellyfish
- The second and final album from this power-pop group makes me wish Jellyfish had been able to make just one more record together. The album is best enjoyed as a whole piece, flowing from one track to
- Fantomas
Mike Patton may well be one of the hardest working men in showbiz these days, and his latest with Fantômas underscores just about how far out he is willing to travel.
Suspended Animation
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- Wow! Perhaps my 5-star rating is simply because the Redwalls are not only new and fresh (none of them older than 22!), or perhaps its because -- despite their ages -- they are able to totally capture
- Nine Inch Nails
In the sprawling post-A&R rock and roll world, there are two camps: the Beatles and the Stones. The Beatles are the artists that like to explore, evolve, and change styles. The Stones are the artis
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News
Sony to Offer iTunes Music as Part of Spyware Lawsuit Settlement
Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 at 2:00 PM - by Brad Cook
Sony BMG has offered to settle the class action lawsuit recently filed over its use of overly draconian copy protection on its music CDs. The company has proposed two options: they can receive a payment of US$7.50 per infected CD they purchased and receive a free album download; or they can receive three free album downloads.
However, while it can limit the list of albums available as free downloads, Sony won't be able to force consumers to use its online store. The company will be required to "use commercially reasonable efforts to offer Apple Computer, Inc.'s popular iTunes as one of the download services available to Settlement Class Members," according to the settlement. That quote comes from an article published by reporter Ken "Caesar" Fisher on the Ars Technica Web site.
Sony's digital rights management (DRM) software, often referred to as a "rootkit," would implant itself so deep in the Windows operating system that it created a security threat. The company has promised to stop using the software and will recall all the CDs that contain it and replace them with new, DRM-free versions. Sony must also provide a tool that will safely remove the rootkit.
Mr. Fisher noted that Sony's proposed settlement has not been approved by the court yet. Proof of purchase -- or return, if consumers took the infected discs back -- will be required.
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