Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott expanded his lawsuit against Sony BMG Music Entertainment on Wednesday, alleging that a second form of anti-piracy technology used by the label violates the state’s spyware and deceptive trade practices laws.
Abbott sued Sony BMG in November, saying the world’s second-largest music label surreptitiously included spyware on millions of CDs through technology known as XCP. That technology, included on 52 Sony BMG titles, could leave computers vulnerable to hackers, he said.
The new allegations involve an unrelated CD copy-protection technology known as MediaMax, which was loaded on 27 Sony BMG titles, including Alicia Keys’ “Unplugged” and Cassidy’s “I’m a Hustla.”
This is getting to be a hugely expensive headache for Sony - and, if the criminal charges go forward, it could get worse than just expensive. The RIAA and the various labels are going to have to re-think their positions.
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