A more recent example of Sony's disregard for their consumers is the scandal associated with their music CDs and installation of software into the deepest recesses of the computer in such a way that it can be contrived as spyware. When a company cannot be above board and honest with its customers and has to resort to software trickery to install copy protection through the backdoor, is it really someone that you can trust? If they cannot trust you the customer, then why should the customer trust the company?
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The disc DRM can't be contrived as spyware, it flat-out is spyware as well as predominately malware. The Sony DRM did not just install itself deeply into the computer but it also was poorly written, bogged down infected computers, posed a major security risk, violated copyright law (it was wrongly built upon open source software), caused damage to a system when removed and was installed dishonestly without disclosure violating several laws. Top that off with Sony's blatantly arrogant attitude about the ordeal, their refusal to apologize properly, and the fact that all of their "solutions" to remove it cause just as much harm as the rootkit itself and you got a heck of a fiasco.
You just can't trust a company that does such things. They clearly have a blatant disregard for their customers private property and fair-use rights.
It could be argued since Sony is divided up into segments with their Movie, music, photography, game, consumer electronic, etc departments operating fairly independently, that the part making the cameras wouldn't do such a thing as BMG did. However that would be missing the fact that those departments are all regulated by the same people who thought the rootkit thing was a good idea.
I never liked any of Sony's products due tho their determination to use proprietary standards but I give credit where credit is due. Sony is not the 800-pund gorilla it used to be. Any of the consumer products they sell have competing products from other companies that are just as good or better.
Due to this DRM crap it'll be a cold day in hell before I buy or recommend any Sony-made product.