stories about: "sony"
The PS3 Hack Injunction Shows The Problems Of Judges Who Don't Understand Technology
from the ordering-the-impossible dept
When you watch politicians and judges make total fools of themselves on technology issues, sometimes you wonder if there just isn't a better system overall out there. Take, for example, the already ridiculous situation in which George Hotz (Geohot) has been gagged for his basic hack of the PS3, allowing it to re-enable a feature that Sony used to include, but has since removed. Remember, if he had done this same exact thing on an iPhone, it would be allowed. But because it's a slightly larger computer that you don't carry in your pocket, it means this could lead to jailtime.I'm still waiting for someone to explain how all of that makes any sense.
However, making the scenario even more ridiculous are the details that the judge put into the temporary restraining order. Not only is Hotz supposed to shut up, but he's also been told to turn over basically all of his computing equipment that might have included some or all of this code. As his lawyer notes, the code itself is less than 100 kb of data. It seems pretty silly to force him to turn over all of his computers and storage -- including terabytes of data -- over one little crack.
Furthermore, the judge has ordered Hotz to "retrieve the code" that has been distributed. Yes, think about that for a second. Retrieve the code. As if it were a dog that went out for a saunter. You don't "retrieve" code once it's out there on the internet. It doesn't go away. You would think that anyone alive during the whole AACS debacle would recognize the pointlessness of trying to suppress released code that is already of great public interest.
It's scenarios like these that make me wonder what the judges who make such orders (and the politicians who make such laws) are thinking (if they're thinking) when they do so. They're trying to legislate or order the impossible, and it doesn't increase respect for the law. It does exactly the opposite. When the rules are completely ridiculous and try to order the impossible, all you do is end up having everyone mock our laws and our judicial system, while doing absolutely nothing to respond to the underlying legal issues.
Filed Under: gaming console, george hotz, hacking, injunction, ps3
Companies: sony
Sony Trying To Play Whac-A-Mole Over PS3 Hack
from the more-you-whac... dept
You would think that Sony, of all companies, would know better than to overreact to a DRM issue -- given its experience with the infamous CD rootkit a few years back. However, the company can't seem to resist making itself look foolish. Beyond seeking to gag the guy who figured out how to get around Sony's digital locks on the PS3 to re-enable the "Other OS" functionality that Sony remotely disabled, it's now sending DMCA takedowns to GitHub (and possibly others) ordering them to remove repositories of code around such cracks (found via Slashdot). I'm really curious how Sony and its lawyers could possibly think all of this is a good idea. It's not like any of these efforts will actually slow down or stop these cracks getting out there and used. In fact, all it does is call that much more attention to these hacks, and convince more people to either get involved or just to use them.Filed Under: hack, jailbreaking, ps3, tinker
Companies: sony
Sony PS3 Hacker Gagged
from the how-dare-you-reinstate-what-sony-took-away dept
A few weeks ago, we talked about Sony's attempt to get an injunction against a guy who figured out how to hack the Sony PS3 to "jailbreak" it and reinstate the "Other OS' feature allowing people to install alternative operating systems, such as Linux, on their PS3s, which Sony unilaterally deleted. While jailbreaking smartphones for similar purposes has been declared legal, for whatever reason, if you're dealing with a gaming console, it suddenly becomes criminal and you can face jailtime. No, it doesn't make any sense.However, the judge is buying it, so far, and has issued Sony's requested temporary restraining order and told the guy behind the hack, George Hotz (Geohot) that he cannot do anything relating to circumventing the PS3s digital locks. He's not even allowed to link to other people talking about it. Seems a bit aggressive, but isn't all that surprising. Unfortunately, too many people still believe that simply jailbreaking a device is some horrible crime.
Filed Under: hacking, jailbreaking, ps3s
Companies: sony
Sony Gets Restraining Order Against Guy Who Restored PS3 Feature Sony Deleted
from the make-it-stop dept
We've already noted the ridiculousness of the situation with copyright law today that makes jailbreaking your iPhone perfectly legal, but jailbreaking your computer gaming console potentially a jailable criminal offense. While some judges have noticed how ridiculous this is, it hasn't stopped console makers from going overboard.Take, for example, Sony's reaction to a recent jailbreaking of the PS3. As you may recall, last year, Sony simply deleted a feature on the PS3 that would let users install alternative operating systems, such as Linux. This feature was used by operations such as the US Air Force to build supercomputers. Recently, a hacker by the name of George Hotz jailbroke the PS3 in order to let people bring back the "Other OS" feature that Sony had dumped.
Sony's response? To bring out the legal guns, get a restraining order against Hotz claim that he violated both the DMCA and the CFAA, and that "all circumvention technology" that Hotz used should be "impounded."
Hopefully Hotz is willing to fight this, and a court is willing to go beyond even what that last judge did, and point out that the laws, as currently written, go beyond what is Constitutional in blocking the way people can make use of their own hardware.
Filed Under: cfaa, copyright, dmca, hacking, jailbreak, ps3, restraining order
Companies: sony
Sony To Stop Making Cassette Walkmen (Yes, It Was Still Making Them...)
from the betcha-didn't-know-that dept
Sony's iconic Walkman cassette playing device was released in 1979, and really revolutionized the idea of personal, portable music (about the same time that it was supposedly killing music). Of course, these days, Apple and its iPod replaced the Walkman as the portable music player of choice, but apparently Sony kept on making cassette Walkmen... until now. It's finally ending production of the cassette Walkmen. As some have noted, the announcement of the end of Walkman came just a day before the anniversary of the introduction of the iPod.Why Have So Many Companies Settled Over Ridiculous Patent For 'Online Music Distribution'?
from the cheaper-to-settle dept
A company going by the name Sharing Sound LLC, which of course does not appear to do anything, got hold of some exceptionally broad and absolutely ridiculous patents on "distributing musical products by a website over the internet" (6,247,130 and 6,233,682). Go ahead and read the claims on both of those, and realize they were filed in 2000, well after online sales of digital goods was available (I should know, I worked for a company focused on selling software online through nearly identical means described in the patents -- in 1998).Earlier this year, however, Sharing Sound sued a whole bunch of companies over these patents. Included was Apple, Microsoft, Napster, Rhapsody, BDE (Kazaa), Sony, Sony/Ericsson, Amazon, Netflix, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble and Gamestop. Late last week, the news came out that Apple had settled and paid up. Along with that, people noted that most of the other companies had already settled.
I defy anyone to explain how this patent is a valid patent. The folks at M-CAM broke down a whole bunch of prior art when the lawsuits were first filed. Anyone who was anywhere near the online web store world for digital content would look through the (very, very, very simple) claims in the patent and just laugh. There's no "invention" there at all. It's a joke.
So why did so many companies settle? The easy guess is that the settlement terms were simply less than going through with the lawsuit. Lawsuits are expensive, even over totally bogus patents. So it's often just easier and cheaper to pay up. Of course, now that gives Sharing Sound more ammo to say "look at all these big companies who settled" when they continue to go after lots of other companies. This is a perfect example of how bad patents still "win" lawsuits.
Filed Under: music distribution, patents
Companies: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, gamespot, microsoft, napster, netflix, rhapsody, sharing sound, sony, wal-mart
Glee Cast Members Claim They're Being Stiffed On Royalties From Glee CD
from the sing-a-song-of-copyright dept
AdamR alerts us to the news that a bunch of castmembers from the hit TV show Glee are apparently quite upset that they're not seeing royalties from the super successful CD from the TV show.After their latest record, "Glee: The Music -- Journey to Regionals" landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in June, star Mark Salling said he'd seen "not a dime" of royalty payments from label Sony Music.Well, that's how RIAA accounting works. Though, amusingly, the article notes that this is leading castmembers to make sure not to sign directly with Sony for recording deals, choosing to work with competitors instead (of course, with the major labels, they all cut deals like this). Either way, with the cast suddenly learning about music royalties, it makes you wonder if the show will stop ignoring them.
Co-star Corey Montieth told Toby Knapp's DC 99.5 radio show: "I got 400 bucks from it going No. 1. But you know what, that's OK, because if I'm patient, and if this thing does really well, maybe I'll see another 400 bucks."
... "The 'Glee' cast is furious because they feel they were misled by Sony," a source said. "They have all complained to Ryan that they want a bigger share of the royalties."
Australia Once Again Decides You Have No Freedom To Tinker With Your Gaming Console
from the you-don't-own-what-you-think-you-own dept
While Spain and France have taken a more lenient approach to letting people modify hardware they (thought they had) bought, the Australian courts apparently are not fans of letting people modify their own equipment. Back in February, we noted that an Australian court ruled against the distributor of some mod chips for the Nintendo DS, and now (as a bunch of you have sent in), an Australian court has sided with Sony in (at least temporarily) banning the PS3Jailbreak dongle, which lets people play homemade games. Of course, the complaint from the console makers is that these products also let people play unauthorized copies of games, but it seems like quite a leap from "this might be used for things we don't like" to "you can't actually modify the hardware you thought you purchased."For Staunch Copyright Defenders, Big Singers From Big Labels Seem To Copy From Others A Lot...
from the just-saying... dept
Reader Dan points us to a long, but fascinating article by someone tracing a number of stories involving famous Western pop stars copying famous songs that originated in Cameroon, without any credit (or, of course, money) -- including the song by Shakira that is currently the World Cup theme song -- which some folks did some online detective work to track down its origins:Ze Bella who had retired from the Presidential Guards in 2002 was enjoying a quiet retirement in his village when he got a call from an acquaintance in France informing him that Shakira had just released a version of Zangalewa. This information was soon confirmed by Emile Kojidy another Golden Sounds alum now living in the United States. They were both right.After the evidence became overwhelming, and people started complaining, Shakira's label (Sony) was forced to come to the table and settle (some believe that FIFA pushed them to make sure that the song was "cleared" before they would use it as the World Cup official song). Now, I, like many don't think there's anything wrong with musicians building on the works of others. It's how music has pretty much always been created. However, it does seem very hypocritical for all these big labels and big musicians to be whining about copyright infringement, when it appears that they try to get away with it themselves when they can.
A few days earlier, the Internet had been inundated with buzz about the new song by Columbian pop star Shakira titled "Zaminamina" which was rumoured to be the official anthem for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. To many listeners, the song was eerily familiar and many bloggers and journalist sought to find out the origins of the song....
To Cameroonians and many African, the origins of the song was no mystery as they instantly recognized it as a remix of "Zangalewa". Thus began a frenzied online campaign to alert the world that this was not a Shakira original but a remix.
Filed Under: cameroon, copying, music, shakira, world cup
Companies: fifa, sony
