SunnComm Technologies Inc. have agreed to fix their MediaMax copy-protection software, so that it will no longer have nasty side effects such as covertly installing rootkits on the computers of unknowing consumers and turning their PCs into expensive paperweights. This is a step in the right direction - though it's an infinitessimally small one. Copy-protection software will still be present on selected major label CDs, reducing the functionality of the item that you dropped your hard-earned cash on, it just allegedly won't wreck your computer anymore.

So I'm torn - I'd like to thank SunnComm for trying to remove the more destructive bits from their software, but there's no reason for it to be there in the first place.

The EFF seems to feel the same way. the EFF site reported on February 2nd:

"EFF applauds SunnComm's commitments to better security and privacy practices," said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "While we continue to disagree with SunnComm on the wisdom of CD copy protection in general, we are pleased that it has taken important steps to notify consumers of the security vulnerability and help resolve the security and privacy issues raised by the MediaMax software."

I spent a decent chunk of time trying to figure out an appropriate simile to describe the reworking of the MediaMax software, but I wasn't able to come up with an analagous situation - possibly because I'm having a hard time conceiving of another industry where a company would purposefully decrease the useability of a product, then apologize for an unintentionally dangerous, deleterious side-effect.