Microsoft recently announced that Sony’s controversial Extended Copy Protection (XCP) has been added to its spyware list, and are offering a tool to remove the malware program. In a world-wide case that’s causing more than just a headache for Sony BMG, the XCP software on its CDs are more than likely going to cost the global tech giant a pretty penny as lawsuits hit courts aroud the globe. With Microsoft and other Anti-Spyware companies now joining the malware band-wagon, Sony has only temporarily suspended shipping it’s CDs with XCP software (they have, however, switched to another program called "MediaMax") In a second blow to Sony, a new report has just been released which deems the characteristics of MediaMax to be the same as XCP – more spyware. MediaMax has been conformed by Sony as another ‘anti-piracy’ software measure used on their CDs to help protect the music content from repeated copying. However, the program -written by SunnComm international Inc.- is once again pushing the limits of spyware by secretly transmitting users information back to SunnComm servers. How will this second revelation affect Sony? With so much negative media coverage of their "rootkit" software and now a second program proving to be as malicious, will it affect Sony BMG’s future CD sales?
