Sony Takes Action Against Hackers
Sony has finally responded to the
reports of the PS3 being hacked, and it's not pretty. Although the electronics giant has yet to release any sort of firmware update to quell the issue, as they had recently promised, they have taken legal action against the hackers in the form of a temporary restraining order. Hacker George "GeoHot" Hotz posted the documents on his
personal website. He does not seem too worried about the legal action being taken by Sony.
"I would expect a company that prides itself on intellectual property to be well versed in the provisions of the law, so I am disappointed in Sony's current action," Hotz told BBC in a recent interview. "I have spoken with legal counsel and I feel comfortable that Sony's action against me doesn't have any basis."
Sony, on the other hand, claims that these recent hacks violate the DMCA, or the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA is a copyright law that, according to Wikipedia, "criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works." Sony also noted that "Already, pirated games are being packaged and distributed with these circumvention devices." If this piracy goes unchecked, Sony could have another disaster like the PSP on their hands.
Sony's legal efforts aim to restrain the hackers from continuing their work and to limit the release of this piracy software to the public. We will keep you updated as more details unfold.