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11/12/2005 Archived Entry: "Anti-virus software illegal?"

An update: Thanks to your friends at Sony, and those mighty intellects in the U.S. Congress, anti-virus software may now be illegal in the United States.

As follows: Rootkits are used by hackers to invade your system. Therefore, anti-virus software is designed to identify and remove or disable rootkits. Sony is now using a rootkit for copy protection. Under the draconian Digital Millenium Copyright Act, it's a crime to "circumvent a technological measure" used for copy protection. Thus, using modern anti-virus software to protect your PC violates the DMCA.

Perhaps it only violates the DMCA if you also own a Sony CD...although if memory serves, it's a crime to even possess software which can be used to circumvent copy protection.

Incidentally, my thanks to Kirsten for pointing out this useful information on the Sony Music feedback page: "If you believe a Sony Music product has a manufacturing defect, please call our Quality Management Department at 800-255-7514 (609-722-8224 in New Jersey)." Yes, I do believe a rootkit qualifies as a defect that was manufactured.

brad