I Think I Smell A Rat

I am sure that you have read a lot about Sony Music’s business practices recently. If not, here are some links, but the gist is that cds purchased from Sony Music install software on your computer that is both hidden and hard to remove. This software allows hackers to use your computer to do all sorts of nasty stuff.

Well on top of this little public relations nightmare, the EFF has translated Sony’s End User License Agreement (EULA). And while it is tempting to decry how horrible some of the provisions in it are, like that you have to delete all of your mp3s if the corresponding cd gets stolen, I am not going to do that. No, I am feeling like a “glass is half full” kinda guy today, so instead I am going to highlight what I think is great about this EULA.

According to the EFF, “The EULA only gives you the right to put copies on a ‘personal home computer system owned by you.’” This means that you cannot copy mp3s of your Sony cds onto your work computer. At first blush this seems pretty horrible, but let me ask you to not think about yourself for once. This also means that your co-workers are not allowed to put copies of their Sony cds on their work computers.

For example, that the co-worker who insists on listening to say, Celine Dion, is violating the EULA. So what are you gonna do? Drop a dime on said co-worker, “Your heart is going on to jail bitch!” As a fine upstanding member of society, it pains you to see such flagrant violations of the law, and you are not going to stand for it any more. Lets see how the guy who listens to John Secada does in the prison yard. Personally, I have always thought it a crime to listen to John Mayer, and now I can do something about it.

This is a great day for music fans everywhere. Kudos to Sony for moving us closer to never having to listen to their music again.