Readers may recall the furore that surrounded Sony Music (Sony BMG) recently after it was discovered that the company had quietly included flawed digital rights management (DRM) software on a number of its CD releases.

When these CDs are played on a Windows PC, they surreptitiously install software that effectively opens a backdoor and puts data and the PC at risk.

The result was a PR disaster for the Japanese firm, which culminated in class action lawsuits being filed in several US states – including California and New York. And then quietly, in late December, news filtered through that Sony had agreed to settle with its New York plaintiffs. No mention was made of the California action.