Sony expands legal offensive to more PS3 hackers

Sets sights on fail0verflow

By Dan Goodin, 8th February 2011

Sony has stepped up its legal offensive against customers who jailbreak its PlayStation 3 game console, filing a series of motions that seek the identity of people who did nothing more than view YouTube videos showing how the latest hack worked.

One court filing demands that Google turn over the IP addresses and usernames of anyone who commented on a posting by video hacker George Hotz to a private YouTube page. A second filing seeks personal account details for a variety of Twitter users, including @fail0verflow, a group that in December demonstrated how to unlock the then-latest version of the PlayStation firmware.

The discovery request, which was reported earlier by Wired.com, comes in a lawsuit Sony filed last month alleging that Hotz and fail0verflow members violated provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act which bar the hacking of the PlayStation's anti-circumvention technology. The federal judge hearing the case has tentatively ruled that the hack likely violated US copyright law, and has ordered Hotz to surrender his code and computer gear.

A court order is necessary to “Promptly determine the identities of third parties hosting and distributing the circumvention devices so that [Sony] can serve them with DMCA 'take down' notices and, if necessary, seek appropriate relief from this Court,” Sony attorneys wrote in a motion filed on Friday.

So far, Hotz is one of only three PS3 hackers being sued by name. A remaining 100 defendants are named as anonymous John Does. Sony's fishing expedition is likely aimed at gathering enough information to identify more individuals.

More information from Wired.com is available here. ®

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All Reader Comments (51)

Highly Rated

Posted Tuesday 8th February 2011 19:49 GMT

bandor

glad they're taking security seriously

now if only sony can track down and sue into oblivion whoever put a rootkit on my Alicia Keys CD.

Posted Wednesday 9th February 2011 00:48 GMT

Asgard

WTF!?

This Authoritarian corporate witch hunt against anyone who has viewed data is getting insane. What kind of world are we allowing where even the Thought Crime of learning how the PS3 works is now considered a punishable offense! ... policed not by criminal law but by copyright law, yet punishment is punishment none the less. Its handing Sony a means to victimize and bully people. WTF, its just a games machine, FFS!

There is no way in hell Sony will stop this information spreading. None what so ever. Therefore they cannot be doing this to stop the spread of information, so what they are doing it simply to punish anyone who dares to look at the information so they then send a fear message to others. Its done to send a message to everyone who views this public flogging that they will be next if they also dare to look at the data. Are we to become so scared of the corporate police (their lawyers) that they can frighten us all into complete compliance with their wishes!

If the thing is in my house, I own it. Every atom of it. End of story. They do not have a hook into my life, my home. I will not be policed by them. This insidious slide towards corporations policing us is insane.

Posted Wednesday 9th February 2011 00:47 GMT

Lol 1

You can sue me...

Dear Sony, I watched & commented on the youtube video. I live in the UK. I don't actually own any Sony hardware, save one walkman I got for my 12th birthday. That was a long while ago.

Anyway, I'm sure that won't deter you. If you could see your way to suing me in Japan and to seek my extradition (I'm sure my government would happily comply,) I'd be really grateful.

I fancy a holiday.