Saturday, February 19, 2011

Sony looking for anyone posting PS3 hack

Sony is threatening to sue anyone who is posting or distributing the PS3 hack refined and distributed by George Hotz. According to David Kravets of the Threat Level blog it doesn't end there. Sony is requesting a judge order Google to turn over the the number, names, IP addresses and all comments by people who viewed the video of the jailbreak on youtube.

Sony is claiming that jailbreaking will eat into PS3 games sales, and has demanded (and the judge granted) that Mr. Hotz turn over all of his computer equipment to them. The whole situation is ludicrous. The exact same activity that Sony is up in arms about is entirely legal on a cell phone. Until recently the PS3 didn't have the protections that George Hotz is being sued for circumventing, and Sony didn't mind if other software was put on the PS3. Even Linux was ok, and that made the PS3 useless as a game console. Modders, the people who would be most likely to use this hack, are a small minority of PS3 gamers.

This problem isn't there because of George Hotz. This problem exists because Sony removed functionality - the ability to install homegrown software on your PS3. What gives them the right to do that? Should GM be able to disable your CD player after you've paid off your car? I would hope that the Judge would boot Sony out of court. But he won't. Hopefully common sense will rule the court and jailbreaking your PS3 or other game console will be legal.

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