Dwight Silverman shrugs off the plague and publishes a list of Sony/BMG titles with rootkits.
I only recognize two of them. And I don’t think the list is complete. Unless I’m mistaken, the latest CD from Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon installs this crap.
The irony to me is that Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon are both on this short list. Ironic, because these two are members of the disbanded Phish, which built up a community of tapers who traded noncommercial copies of concerts with the band’s imprimatur.
So far, no really big artists on this list. No Dylan, no Springsteen…
(PS: Go back to bed, Dwight!)
Ed Bott 
A friend lent me a CD in 2003, which included this copy protection rot. Somewhat oddly, it included the CD Audio icon on the back cover. When I put it in the computer attempted to invite itself onto the hard disc with it’s audio player. Being the paranoid type, I don’t install software without some analysis of what it does. Besides, it wouldn’t get far given I was logged on as a member of the Users group.
I found that it’s copy protection was easily defeated by turning off digital audio playback on the drive in question, and disabling error correction. This made it operate more like a standard The “errors” appeared to be in quiet parts of the track, and hence weren’t noticable to my ear.
I didn’t buy the CD in the end. IIRC, the CD was published by Warners.
The list is from the EFF and may or may not be complete. Also, not all the protected Sony/BMG titles have the rootkit on them; some use Sunncomm’s DRM, and there apparently is a different First 4 Internet DRM out there, too. Hopefully the EFF will add to its list as it uncovers more.
I love the photos at the EFF website. I noticed the “Unauthorized copying is punishable under federal law” and “Use subject to applicable end user licence agreement” wording on the back of the case. No “Thank you for buying this product”. Nope. They want to remind you, the paying customer (a supposed rare creature according to the RIAA PR machine), that the full force of federal law will come down upon you if you make a copy of the CD and that if you want to use the CD that you have to find the right EULA.
Indeed it does. I am currently infected with this nonsense. And your other comment is quite germaine, There were several tapers at the Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon show in Charlottesville show where I bought my infected disc (Sixty Six Steps)
John