As industry experts predicted, the flaw in Sony’s XCP copy protection program integrated into CDs was exploited by hackers to attack computers. This situation has led the Japanese electronics company to decide to halt the release of this DRM (Digital Rights Management) code into the market. 
John McKay, a spokesperson for Sony, officially announced that they are temporarily ceasing the production of CDs containing the XCP (Extended Copy Protection) software but did not specify when the company would resume using this program.
The developers of XCP had previously stated that they are working on new copy protection software that does not utilize Sony’s controversial techniques.
XCP was developed by First 4 Internet (UK) and was launched in early 2005. The product was implemented on approximately 20 music compilations, including the country album “Get Right with the Man” by Van Zant. This software limits the number of copies that can be made from each CD.
This digital rights management code began to cause a stir in the professional community when Mark Russinovich, a Windows operating system expert, revealed how the rootkit technique was used to conceal XCP on computers. A rootkit can accommodate various other programs, including viruses that can remotely control computers.
Sony had to release a patch for XCP but still faced strong criticism, which viewed this as an attempt to control users with malicious intent.
Thuy Huong (according to PCWorld)
