[modi123_1]

Do you really own your hardware? Computers? CD spindals, smart phones, etc? Sony doesn't think so.

Hacker Challenging Court Order to Surrender Computer Gear to Sony

The setup:

Quote

The lawyer representing a hacker who published the first major PlayStation 3 jailbreak on the internet said Sunday he would challenge a federal judge’s order requiring his client surrender his computer gear to console-maker Sony.

What they are asking for:

Quote

Sony also requested that the 21-year-old computer consultant surrender “any and all computer hardware and peripherals containing circumvention devices, technologies, programs, parts thereof, or other unlawful material, including but not limited to code and software, hard disc drives, computer software, inventory of CD-ROMS, computer diskettes, or other material containing circumvention devices, technologies, programs, parts thereof, or other unlawful material.”

The argument:

Quote

“The information sought at issue is less than 100 kilobytes of data. Mr. Hotz has terabytes of storage devices,” Kellar said in a Sunday telephone interview. “Impounding his computers, it’s like starting a forest fire to cut down a single tree.”

Quote

Hotz, he said, has already abided by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston’s decision ordering him to remove the code from his website and YouTube.

End game - Sony can't prove the 100kb are on the other areas, makes a sweeping request for guy to surrender his tech, judge agrees, and Sony pwns all electronics in this guy's house that can store data. It would be almost humored to send them six terabytes of pr0n.

Thoughts? Is Sony in the clear? I mean sure this guy isn't sharing the keys, but that doesn't mean he won't try something later with this information. Nuke the site from orbit, right? It's the only way to be sure that he can't use it. I mean hell - most new cars have hard drive space on their on board computers. Take that car too!

I say Sony didn't go far enough - it's in his mind. Some invasive cranial surgery to scoop out the offending bits. Like with Walter on Fringe.

Mind you this firmware was about allowing home brew kits on your PS3... its' the shady bastards that came in afterward to alllow you to "back up" your games.

[Sergio Tapia]

Disclaimer: I know absolutely jack-shit about this level of programming/hacking.

I understand that he made it for homebrew applications and to bring OtherOS back to the console. Hell you paid for that! But let's not kid ourselves, the vast majority of users who are eager about this news are thinking about running pirated games.

Do I agree with what Sony is doing? No. Absolutely not, but I just wanted to get that off my chest, that a lot of people including me, are seeing if there is a possibility of pirated games running on the Worlds Unhackable Console™.

Just my two cents.

[gabehabe]

I'm really losing respect for Sony lately. Someone figures out how to crack your software, you patch it... you don't just take his computer away and hope it doesn't happen again.

[heyoman1]

Geohot. Why? You were fine with iPhone jailbreaking, but damn, a whole console?!

[AdamSpeight2008]

A soon you purchase the product that product is your to do a you see fit.
Play on it or hit it with 12lb lump hammer.

It up to you. Sony it's no longer yours. Shut Up.

Until Sony starts put on the external of their packaging the full T&C.

Quote

This product remains the property of Sony, your purchase entitle you do {x}, {y} and {z}. {Full Terms and conditions}.

So I can decide whether or not to be bound by them, before making my purchase.

Then I respect their argument, until then STFU.


We don't they do what Microsoft is doing with the Jail Breaker of WP7?

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 31 January 2011 - 06:02 PM

[calvinthedestroyer]

Maybe sony should hire him instead of trying to string him up.

Quote

Sony's Message:
"You can buy our stuff, but you can't use it"

[AdamSpeight2008]

Quote

Don't touch this you may break it, if you do we'll chomp your fingers off.

[heyoman1]

AdamSpeight2008, on 31 January 2011 - 08:00 PM, said:

Play on it or hit it with 12lb lump hammer.

This post has been edited by heyoman1: 31 January 2011 - 06:32 PM

[dorknexus]

I think the notion that once you purchase something you can do whatever the hell you want to do with it is a good one. It seems like software and computer hardware are one of the few products that companies and law spend so much time stipulating what you can and cannot do with their products after you purchased it.

[Sethro117]

I agree with the whole it's not Sonys anymore thing and being able to do whatever you want with it. However I wouldnt blame them for finding anyone using a hack and cutting off updates and access to their online play.

The console might not be theirs but it's still connecting to their network and resources which they own and can do whatever they please with.

[AdamSpeight2008]

I'll just make a caveat that if you purchase the product via credit. It belongs to credit issuing company not you, until it paid off.

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 31 January 2011 - 06:56 PM

[modi123_1]

Would then everyone agree reverse engineering your software is okay? For example if some fourteen year old cracker (not the white bread kind) breaks your serial keys to your flagship product it is then okay to distribute a key generator? Oh and this fourteen year old's intention was to make it so he could add this awesome plug into your application to suit his needs and tots not to have the world illegally distribute your software?

[eker676]

That's definitely bs. If you bought it, then I believe it is yours.

+1 for MS on the handling of the WP7 situation.

Edit: As for modi123's point. If a 14 year old kid can crack your application, you need to get a better team of developers. Or just drop the traditional serial key all together. Make the software activate from an online server. However, I do agree that reverse engineering is illegal and people should be prosecuted for it.

This post has been edited by eker676: 31 January 2011 - 07:40 PM

[modi123_1]

@Eker - I jest at the age (sometimes), but age aside - tenacious people with lots of time cracking software.... your software. I mean sure the person bought it so it's his/hers, right?

Edit - before the debate over physical or not - code is "physical".. it resides in the real on storage mediums.

This post has been edited by modi123_1: 31 January 2011 - 07:45 PM

[AdamSpeight2008]

modi123_1, on 01 February 2011 - 03:33 AM, said:

Would then everyone agree reverse engineering your software is okay?

I'd be quite proud that I rewrote an application deemed worthy enough to be pirated.

I wonder if any know what the profit made on the initial sale versus the profit made on providing support for said software.

There are legitimate reason for reverse engineering software.
What if the company no longer exists?