Edward Felten has decided that in the battle to save innocent victims from Sony's reckless, self-destructive DRM bender, the time has come to start calling a spyware a spyware: "In all the discussion of the SonyBMG software, I’ve been avoiding the S-word. But now it’s clear that this software crosses the line. It's spyware."

He also suggests that Sony now recognizes how badly it has stumbled, but continues to publicly defend itself for strategic reasons. In other words, it's gathering the tatters of respectablity tightly around its shoulders as the winds of public disgust grow stronger, hoping that someone, somewhere, still believes it's doing the right thing. Because sometime soon, it's got to shave the beard, tuck in the shirt, and appear before a court of law.

Meanwhile, Fred von Lohmann and Cindy Cohn are tag-teaming to help victims remove the rootkit and disinfect the premises:

Are You Infected by Sony-BMG's Rootkit? helps you find the XCP bug. It includes a handy list of CDs that EFF has confirmed are infected, plus photos to help you identify signs of infection in other CDs.

Now the Legalese Rootkit: Sony-BMG's EULA helps you understand what Sony-BMG will no doubt claim you "agreed" to when you bought, opened, and inserted the CD into your computer. Example: "Sony-BMG can install and use backdoors in the copy protection software or media player to 'enforce their rights' against you, at any time, without notice. And Sony-BMG disclaims any liability if this 'self help' crashes your computer, exposes you to security risks, or any other harm."

Finally, Sony-BMG Rootkit: EFF Collecting Stories, Considering Litigation speaks for itself. If you're fed up and believe that Sony won't treat its customers right until someone in a black robe says it must, take a look and see if you can help make that happen.