Sony vs. Everyone - Tales of Exploits, Lawyers, Hackers, and Houseraids

[Schwaltzvald]

But Black Dynamite, I used Linux on my PS3!

Listen sucka. I’m redder than the Queen of Hearts and more moderate than you and the whole damned forum put together. And while they're out there trolling at blogsites and brow beating the game industry, I’m taking out any ignorant, misinformed’ sucker on a humble that gets in my way, so I'll tell you what. When they have their actual rights trampled upon, you call me and I'll be right down in front showing you how it's done. But until then, they need to SHUT THE FUCK UP when grown, clear minded folks is talkin!

[Crowbar Man]

Thin Crust: Wow, how very anti consumer. Its not a legally binding contract, it just a EULA, and non enforceable in a court of law. Especially since you may have NEVER clicked on "I Agree" (used console sales, hacking, etc)

And the point here is their playing WITH the HARDWARE, installing their own software. They could care less about Sony's software. Its IN THE WAY.

Besides, Sony broke the law by removing an advertised feature of the hardware, and is now facing a class action suit.

Schwaltzvald:

Sony is trying to lie and manipulate the court to serve there needs. The fact they are even trying to sue him in California, when Hotz doesn't live there is a sham in itself. They have the money to sue anybody anywhere, they tried to do this as a cheap way to make him give up out of court, but it didn't work. They are still fighting to prove they can even sue him in CA. If you've read any of the court documents, Sony made several false claims in attempt to win this case. They still insist he sold "Circumvention Devices". They have even claimed an unrelated username on PSN is "him" using nothing other than heresay.

The legal ramifications of this case are very deep for consumer rights. Sony has trampled on everything, even suggesting that you can be sued anywhere in the world for agreeing to a simple TOS. Even if you did not

Anybody on their side at this point, is obviously blind.

EDIT: Also interestingly enough, SCEA, the company suing Hotz, has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PS3 HARDARE OR FIRMWARE.

They basically ran PSN and distributed the PS3 and handled updates. They claim that not only Geo had agreed to the TOS (which hes never had a PSN account) but that he can be sued in CA becuase of that. They also have claimed the only source possible to get FW updates is from them (again, you can get FW updates anywhere on the internet) so he "had to" have agreed to their TOS.

So the whole case is basically Sony lying.

[Schwaltzvald]

Sony is trying to lie and manipulate the court to serve there needs. The fact they are even trying to sue him in California, when Hotz doesn't live there is a sham in itself. They have the money to sue anybody anywhere, they tried to do this as a cheap way to make him give up out of court, but it didn't work. They are still fighting to prove they can even sue him in CA. If you've read any of the court documents, Sony made several false claims in attempt to win this case

The legal ramifications of this case are very deep for consumer rights. Sony has trampled on everything, and are out right conducting illegal activities at this point.

Anybody on their side at this point, is obviously blind.

Unfortunately I do not have the time to read all the court records, however if you or any one is willing to sum up the critical issues such as the shameful tactics by Sony's lawyers by all means do share. Throw in some links to the information backing up the bullshit done by Sony.

I'd also like some one, perhaps Wacky most likely, to lend some credence to how this could lead up to the apocalyptic world for consumers that are often brought up. I don't mind being serious and taking people here seriously this time around as I'm quite interested

So I'm blind you say, a bit ironic for a man with an eye fetish

, bless me with sight then please.

Edit: awww you edited your original post, either way its all looking to either Hotz burns out all of the cash he has or Sony gets slapped silly before the former happens.

Losers all around it seems

[Crowbar Man]

Groklaw has been covering this, they have some good breakdowns of the important parts:

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110322114658410

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110327185437805

[Schwaltzvald]

Groklaw has been covering this, they have some good breakdowns of the important parts:

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110322114658410

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110327185437805

Oh hey this I can do, gonna be some time though before I could give any thoughts on it though for now.

[Gario]

Sony is trying to lie and manipulate the court to serve there needs. The fact they are even trying to sue him in California, when Hotz doesn't live there is a sham in itself. They have the money to sue anybody anywhere, they tried to do this as a cheap way to make him give up out of court, but it didn't work. They are still fighting to prove they can even sue him in CA. If you've read any of the court documents, Sony made several false claims in attempt to win this case. They still insist he sold "Circumvention Devices". They have even claimed an unrelated username on PSN is "him" using nothing other than heresay.

Hey, sounds exactly like the custody battle between my Brother and (former) sister-in-law. Taking it out of jurisdiction, making false charges, using irrelevant information, all that good stuff. Hey, Sony's acting exactly like a manipulative bitch trying to force what it wants not through the law but through coercion and twisting the system.

[Thin Crust]

Groklaw has been covering this, they have some good breakdowns of the important parts:

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110322114658410

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20110327185437805

Here's something I found on that link.

A PSN account can be created by using the PS3 System or a personal computer. ln either case, a user creating a PSN account must provide the following information: a valid email address, date of birth, a unique username and password, the user's first and last name, a physical address, and the country in which the user lives. During the account creation process, whether the account is created using a personal computer or a PS3 console, the user is presented with the PlayStation Network Terms of Service and User Agreement ('PSN User Agreement") and required to either "accept" or udeny" the PSN User Agreement by clicking a corresponding button. The PSN User Agreement specifies that the user has entered a binding agreement with SCEA if he or she chooses to accept it. The PSN User Agreement requires that users "submit to personal jurisdiction in California and further agree that any dispute arising from or relating to this Agreement shall be brought in a court within San Mateo County, California." During the PSN account registration process using a personal computer, there is an email address authentication step in which the user must open an email sent from the PSN to the email address given by the user and then click on a link in order to complete the process.

If Sony sees his name on that PSN ID, than I don't see what kind of defense George Hotz has.

[Crowbar Man]

He has never made a PSN account. Thats a part of his defense, actually. Guess you havn't followed

Why would he have a PSN account anyways if hes only interested in hacking linux on to it and/or running homebrew?

Sony, however, is lying and says he made 2, "Geo1Hotz" (obviously not him, his handle is "geohot", and this ID is not on any of the PS3s on his posession) and blickmaniac (obviously not him either) because one of the units he bought used has that ID registered on it.

Neither one of these has any of his contact information.

[PriZm]

lol at anonymous making threats like they are big shot terrorists

also crowbar man this is a trial what do you expect ?

geohot is obviously lying by saying he never knew about SCEA and sony might be lying about their shit too`

also what's with the italics ?

[Brushfire]

But Black Dynamite, I made a PSN account on my jail-broken PS3!!

All seriousness aside, I am on the side of Jail-breaking, but not to the extent of piracy. I don't believe Mr. Hotz did it. The rest of the internet is the bad egg. Also Let's play some Halo Reach on Xbox 360 Live Gold. I hear a new map pack just released.

[Thin Crust]

He has never made a PSN account. Thats a part of his defense, actually. Guess you havn't followed

Why would he have a PSN account anyways if hes only interested in hacking linux on to it and/or running homebrew?

Sony, however, is lying and says he made 2, "Geo1Hotz" (obviously not him, his handle is "geohot", and this ID is not on any of the PS3s on his posession) and blickmaniac (obviously not him either) because one of the units he bought used has that ID registered on it.

Neither one of these has any of his contact information.

Guess you haven't followed.

Hotz identified four PS3 Systems in his possession. Bricker Decl., ¶4, Exh. C. He explained that he had purchased one of these consoles new in February 2010 and provided the serial number for that console. Id. SCEA used that serial number to determine that on February 25, 2010, Hotz purchased the PS3 System at a Gamestop store just miles from his home. Law Decl., ¶6; Bricker Decl., ¶6, Exh. E. SCEA’s records show that the same PS3 System was used on March 10, 2010 to create a PSN account under the user name “blickmanic.

you a pirate or something?

[The Damned]

So, they settled out of court.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/11/settlement-in-george-hotz-case/

And now for the rounds of "he snitched on other hackers" and "sony dominated/completely caved in", as well as a few "Anon wins again" and "lol Sony" comments and then we all forget about this in a few weeks.

Until the next lawsuit from Sony, and then we can dig all this shit up again as reference and ammo in the eventual hackers versus pirates rants and consumer rights debates.

[The Phalanx]

Can't say I'm surprised. It would have been interesting to see how this would have played out in court, but at this point I think Sony is just trying to keep this out of the public light and save some face.

[The Damned]

Or are they?

Or aren't they?

That's the thing; we may never really know what made both sides settle out of court... if it was even both sides. It could have been either one that forced the other to accept.

Sony already has the resources to take anyone to court for a long time, so it's not a matter of cost-effectiveness is terms of keeping the lawsuit going. It hasn't stopped them before.

If they had something on Geohot, they wouldn't bother keeping it quiet, as they could use it to show everyone that they were in the right, and to help scare off any similar future lawsuits. It would have been an important legal victory.

If Geohot had something that he could have utterly destroyed Sony's case with, why wouldn't he? He could have not only won a big battle for himself and others, but also showed other companies that they aren't as safe as they think they are. Sony would have pretty much begged for the out of court deal by then, but Geohot could have just said "nope, too late now". So maybe he's a nice guy about it, even after they sued him, seized some of his property, and accused him of running away like a coward to everyone in the world?

If both sides had someone on the other, then it could have gotten messy in the courtroom... which might explain why they decided to do it by themselves.

But without knowing exactly what the circumstances were (and most settlements are private and aren't easy to find out about), we may never know what really happened.

[Flik]

He probably found naughty photos embedded in the PS3 code that the Sony peeps didn't want seen, so they ended the case and called it even.

[ocre]

Or Sony found naughty pictures of him on the computers they seized. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH.