And so it finally heats up to a boiling point.

Sony BMG has just released the following letter—included below in its entirety—to its vendors, requesting immediate product removal of all SBMG product featuring the XCP content protection software from their shelves. Also included was a downloadable list of all affected CDs. The company also announced an immediate consumer exchange program for all product named on the list.

It is not yet clear how many retailer will immediately take Sony BMG up on their offer and clear their shelves of the offending product.

November 16, 2005

Re: Request for Immediate Product Removal

Dear SONY BMG Music Entertainment Account:

You may be aware of the recent attention given to the XCP content protection software included on some SONY BMG CDs. This software was provided to us by a third-party vendor, First4Internet. We are writing to provide you with information about the XCP technology. In addition, we are asking for your cooperation in removing these CDs from your inventory and supplying consumers with new copies of the same titles without the software.

Security concerns have been raised regarding the use of CDs containing this XCP software. It is important to note that the issues regarding these discs apply only when the CDs are played on computers, not on conventional, non-computer-based CD and/or DVD players. For consumers who wish to play these CDs on their computers, we have issued a software update that we believe addresses the security concerns. Shortly, we will provide a revised and secure uninstall procedure for the XCP software.

Attached to this letter is a list of the titles containing the XCP software. Please note that this issue does not affect any titles not on the list which may have employed a different content protection technology.

We want you to know of the steps we are taking, and ask for your cooperation in supporting them:

1. Please immediately remove from your store shelves and warehouses the titles on the attached list and return those titles to us. We will, of course, give you credit at the price paid for returned merchandise. We are currently manufacturing replacement titles. Your account representative can give you instructions on how to ship the product to us at no cost to you.

2. We are commencing a direct consumer exchange program whereby consumers may return product containing the XCP software for a replacement version of that title without the software. The details of this program, as well as an FAQ and other information, will be posted shortly on: http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp. At this website, we will also make available a printable fact sheet that you may provide to customers who have questions about this situation. A copy of the fact sheet will also be available on SONY BMG Central.

3. In addition to alerting your customers to the direct exchange program, if they ask to exchange titles at your retail outlet(s), we encourage you to fulfill their request using the new CDs made available to you. We will credit you for opened and unopened XCP content-protected compact discs returned to us.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We strongly believe these steps are beneficial in ensuring our and your continued goodwill with consumers and artists. SONY BMG remains committed to the goal of producing a safe and enjoyable music experience.

For questions regarding this program, please contact your account representative.

Sincerely,

SONY BMG Sales Enterprise

CD’s Containing XCP Content

Protection Technology

Note: We will shortly be releasing new versions of these titles without the XCP software. You therefore need to check this list for both the name of the album and the item number (which can be found on the spine of the CD). If the item number is not listed below, your CD does not contain XCP content protection.

	ARTIST	ALBUM	ITEM NUMBER(S)
1.	A Static Lullaby	Faso Latido	CK92772
2.	Acceptance	Phantoms	CK89016
3.	Amerie	Touch	CK90763
4.	Art Blakey	Drum Suit	CK93637
5.	The Bad Plus	Suspicious Activity?	CK94740
6.	Bette Midler	Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook	CK95107 CK74815
7.	Billy Holiday	The Great American Songbook	CK94294
8.	Bob Brookmeyer	Bob Brookmeyer & Friends	CK94292
9.	Buddy Jewell	Times Like These	CK92873
10.	Burt Bacharach	At This Time	CK97734
11.	Celine Dion	On Ne Change Pas	E2K97736
12.	Chayanne	Cautivo	LAK96819 LAK96818 LAK95886
13.	Chris Botti	To Love Again	CK94823
14.	The Coral	The Invisible Invasion	CK94747
15.	Cyndi Lauper	The Body Acoustic	EK94569
16.	The Dead 60's	The Dead 60's	EK94453
17.	Deniece Williams	This Is Niecy	CK93814
18.	Dextor Gordon	Manhattan Symphonie	CK93581
19.	Dion	The Essential Dion	CK92670
20.	Earl Scruggs	I Saw The Light With Some Help From My Friends	CK92793
21.	Elkland	Golden	CK92036
22.	Emma Roberts	Unfabulous And More: Emma Roberts	CK93950 CK97684
23.	Flatt & Scruggs	Foggy Mountain Jamboree	CK92801
24.	Frank Sinatra	The Great American Songbook	CK94291
25.	G3	Live In Tokyo	E2K97685
26.	George Jones	My Very Special Guests	E2K92562
27.	Gerry Mulligan	Jeru	CK65498
28.	Horace Silver	Silver's Blue	CK93856
29.	Jane Monheit	The Season	EK97721
30.	Jon Randall	Walking Among The Living	EK92083
31.	Life Of Agony	Broken Valley	EK93515
32.	Louis Armstrong	The Great American Songbook	CK94295
33.	Mary Mary	Mary Mary	CK94812 CK92948
34.	Montgomery Gentry	Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005	CK75324 CK94982
35.	Natasha Bedingfield	Unwritten	EK93988
36.	Neil Diamond	12 Songs	CK94776 CK97811
37.	Nivea	Complicated	82876671562
38.	Our Lady Peace	Healthy In Paranoid Times	CK94777
39.	Patty Loveless	Dreamin' My Dreams	EK94481
40.	Pete Seeger	The Essential Pete Seeger	CK92835
41.	Ray Charles	Friendship	CK94564
42.	Rosanne Cash	Interiors	CK93655
43.	Rosanne Cash	King's Record Shop	CK86994
44.	Rosanne Cash	Seven Year Ache	CK86997
45.	Shel Silverstein	The Best Of Shel Silverstein	CK94722
46.	Shelly Fairchild	Ride	CK90355