Sony-BMG is being sued in class actions in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, just as it begins to settle some of the cases against it in the USA.
The revelation that Sony had deliberately infected its music CDs with invisible spyware and rootkits that installed themselves without your consent and left you vulnerable to cyber-attacks prompted several class-action and state lawuits across the US. Sony has settled some (though individuals can opt out and take Sony to small-claims court), but just as fast as they make one claim go away, another pops up.
The Merchant Law Firm, based in Calgary, launched class action suits in both the Ontario and B.C. courts yesterday (Ontario brief, B.C. brief). This follows a less-publicized class action launched in Quebec against Sony last November. All of these cases arise from the rootkit issue. The briefs make for interesting reading as the Canadian cases raise a long list of legal issues including the violation of Canadian privacy law, breach of contract, violation of the Competition Act, and a host of tort claims.
LinkThanks, Michael!)
Previous installments of the Sony DRM Debacle Roundup: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V
(Cool Sony CD image courtesy of Collapsibletank)
