Editing Spyware (section)

===Digital rights management===
Some copy-protection technologies have borrowed from spyware. In 2005, [[Sony BMG Music Entertainment]] was [[Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal|found to be using]] [[rootkit]]s in its [[Extended Copy Protection|XCP]] [[digital rights management]] technology<ref name="Sony scandal">Russinovich, Mark. [http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx "Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100428161458/http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx |date=April 28, 2010 }}, ''Mark's Blog,'' October 31, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2006.</ref> Like spyware, not only was it difficult to detect and uninstall, it was so poorly written that most efforts to remove it could have rendered computers unable to function.
[[Texas Attorney General]] [[Greg Abbott]] filed suit,<ref name="Texas AG lawsuit">Press release from the Texas Attorney General's office, November 21, 2005; [http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=1266 Attorney General Abbott Brings First Enforcement Action In Nation Against Sony BMG For Spyware Violations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725211827/http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=1266 |date=July 25, 2010 }}. Retrieved November 28, 2006.</ref> and three separate [[class-action]] suits were filed.<ref name="class-action suits">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4424254.stm "Sony sued over copy-protected CDs; Sony BMG is facing three lawsuits over its controversial anti-piracy software"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530180551/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4424254.stm |date=May 30, 2009 }}, ''BBC News,'' November 10, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2006.</ref> Sony BMG later provided a workaround on its website to help users remove it.<ref name="Sony workaround">[https://web.archive.org/web/20061201162533/http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/updates.html Information About XCP Protected CDs]. Retrieved November 29, 2006.</ref>

Beginning on April 25, 2006, Microsoft's [[Windows Genuine Advantage]] Notifications application<ref>{{cite web |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474/ |website=Microsoft Support |title=Description of the Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications application |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618060054/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474 |archive-date=June 18, 2010 |access-date=June 13, 2006}}</ref> was installed on most Windows PCs as a "critical security update". While the main purpose of this deliberately uninstallable application is to ensure the copy of Windows on the machine was lawfully purchased and installed, it also installs software that has been accused of "[[phoning home]]" on a daily basis, like spyware.<ref>Weinstein, Lauren. [http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000178.html Windows XP update may be classified as 'spyware'] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120709231348/http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000178.html |date=July 9, 2012 }}, ''Lauren Weinstein's Blog,'' June 5, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2006.</ref><ref>Evers, Joris. [http://news.cnet.com/Microsofts-antipiracy-tool-phones-home-daily/2100-1016_3-6081286.html Microsoft's antipiracy tool phones home daily] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828151942/http://news.cnet.com/Microsofts-antipiracy-tool-phones-home-daily/2100-1016_3-6081286.html |date=August 28, 2012 }}, ''CNET,'' June 7, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2014.</ref> It can be removed with the RemoveWGA tool.