Sony BMG settles CD anti-piracy case

Sony BMG Music Entertainment has settled several class-action lawsuits over the use of copy protection technology on compact discs. The settlement covers consumers who purchased CDs with anti-piracy software known as XCP or MediaMax, Dow Jones reported.

U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald granted final approval to the settlement in late May. Under its terms, purchasers of the commercial CDs using the technologies will be able to exchange CDs for a replacement CD without the software. They can also op for other compensation depending on what type of software was included on the CD they purchased.

Sony will also provide consumers with a patch to remove the software from their computers. Some consumers have raised concerns that the XCP software can make their computers vulnerable to viruses, Dow Jones said.