EFF Comments On Sony vs. Geohot

**The Central Scrutinizer** · 01-20-2011,10:55 AM

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit digital rights advocacy group, has posted an article on the upcoming Sony vs. Geohot court battle.

Sony's core arguments — that it can silence speech that reveals security flaws using the DMCA and that the mere fact of a terms of use somewhere gives a company permanent and total control over what you do with a device under pain of criminal punishment — are both sweeping and frightening, and not just for gamers and computer researchers. Frankly, it's not what we expect from any company that cares about its customers, and we bet it's not what those customers expect, either.

You can read the entire article HERE

**Ben Jeremy** · 01-20-2011,11:00 AM

OK, I hope they back up their words with real support for Geohot.

Whatever you may think of Geohot, this is an important case... Sony seems to be hellbent on attacking it with incompetent lawyers, but they'll have technical ignorance and a big checkbook on their side. This case needs to be high profile, and it needs complete backing from groups like the EFF to see this through fairly and honestly.

This is about our rights as consumers to use our own equipment as we wish, within the reasonable confines of the law.

**Leicdave** · 01-20-2011,11:03 AM

This is quite big news the EFF are hugely influential and a great group to have on geohot/Failoverflow's side. Looks like this battle is moving up a notch with the EFF involved who do lobby government this could turn into a huge story and subsequently legal history.

**haddox19** · 01-20-2011,11:04 AM

Thoughts and prayers to geohot. Its not right what sony is doing.

**JNABK** · 01-20-2011,11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Leicdave

This is quite big news the EFF are hugely influential and a great group to have on geohot/Failoverflow's side. Looks like this battle is moving up a notch with the EFF involved who do lobby government this could turn into a huge story and subsequently legal history.

I wouldnt go as far to say they are on geohots side for the purpose of what he has done, but there is a much bigger issue they are addressing, as the out come of this particular case will set some presidence in law.

If Sony should happen to win this battle, it would give them new 'power' to go after anyone who did something with their products they dont like, not just a PS3 hack. People research products and look closely at them for many reasons, not just to play some homebrew or pirated games. Sony makes a lot of different products and winning would give them a clear road to take anyone to court they dont like poking around in a product they sold.

Since geohots methods are in "questionable fashion", it has prompted others to look a bit closer at what Sony is attempting to do here and what implications it would have on everyone, not just geohot.

**nemesis01** · 01-20-2011,11:38 AM

Originally Posted by MasterCrucifier

You are just looking to cause a stir here. They had no right in sueing him as he bought the PS3 and what he does with it is his own business.

Yes, his own business and not the whole world's, if he had kept his mouth shut Sony wouldn't know about it would they....

**ChocoboX** · 01-20-2011,11:39 AM

Powerful words.

**OoZic** · 01-20-2011,11:43 AM

I think it is still strange they did almost nothing to find out who was behind the original PSJB. Sony tries to pay Geohot one dollar on his iphone site to proof he's making money for the fact he publishes his findings while it is 100% clear the people behind the PSJB made (or lost?) big bugs. But they did it to make a profit.
All other clone manufacturers the same. Sony did almost nothing besides trying to stop the selling of the dongles but nothing to the manufacturers themselves.
And now they are after Geohot while they had all the time in the world to go after proven moneymaking dongle manufacturers.

**InnerD** · 01-20-2011,11:44 AM

Originally Posted by OoZic

I think it is still strange they did almost nothing to find out who was behind the original PSJB. Sony tries to pay Geohot one dollar on his iphone site to proof he's making money for the fact he publishes his findings while it is 100% clear the people behind the PSJB made (or lost?) big bugs. But they did it to make a profit.
All other clone manufacturers the same. Sony did almost nothing besides trying to stop the selling of the dongles but nothing to the manufacturers themselves.
And now they are after Geohot while they had all the time in the world to go after proven moneymaking dongle manufacturers.

seeing as they come from anywhere but the US there really isn't anything they could do. They attempted in aus at first but nothing came of it.

**Brubaker** · 01-20-2011,11:47 AM

Let's not lose sight of what's really going on here by getting involved in an argument over what type of court case this is - Sony, it seems, are intent on claiming at least part-ownership of their console, long after it has left the store.

So how about if dentists did this?

It's a pretty mad world the day you go to the dentist to get a filling, then decide you don't want that colour, get the filling removed and replaced - and then get sued by the original dentist for tampering.

Sorry to use such an extreme analogy but it's the same principle, and frankly it's f**king crazy. If this gets passed into law, they'll be selling air by the bucket next.

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