The plot thickens in the case of Sony vs. GeoHot. George Hotz's lawyer, Stewart Kellar, rejected Sony's claims that Hotz fled the US for South America and that he had failed to turn in requested components. "The notion that George has fled the country is absurd. George is in South America to see a friend, on a trip he planned before this lawsuit ever began. George has had to make himself available 24/7 for this litigation, which has been quite demanding on him," he told Ars.
NEWS: PS3 Hack Bypasses Encryption Security; Exploit Available To The Public
Apparently you can't take a vacation from a lawsuit, GeoHot has been in constant contact with his lawyer while on vacation. Keller also wanted to clarify that Hotz was not using any donated money for his trip, "It should be noted that the donation money George has received is being used exclusively for his legal defense. If there are any funds left after the lawsuit, George is planning to donate the money to the EFF."
Sony's filings yesterday also implied GeoHot had tampered with the hard drives he was supposed to turn in, a claim Keller thought was misleading.
"SCEA's lawyers are using intentionally ambiguous language so that the public, and the Court, might assume the worst. The 'components' SCEA is talking about are hard drives' controller cards. The neutral [third party examining the drives] subsequently had to explain to SCEA the form and function of hard drive controller cards," Kellar also told Ars. "It is a stock part that can be purchased at any electronics hardware store. Those controller cards have since been provided to the neutral so the point is moot."
GeoHot himseld addressed the claims and is amused by the news he fled the country. He posted to his own blog:
Factually, it's true I'm in South America, on a vacation I've had planned and paid for since November. I mean, it is Spring break; hacking isn't my life. Rest assured that not a dime of legal defense money would ever go toward something like this. And of course Townsend loves the idea of painting me as an international fugitive. I have been in contact with my lawyers almost every day; I would not let the case suffer. That said, I also won't let this ridiculous lawsuit run my life either. Then the fearmongerers win.
I will be back, I hear it's hard to come by the Xperia Play down here.
I suspected he was just on vacation, you can't exactly flee a civil suit.
Do you think Sony is being intentionally misleading?
Source: Arstechnica
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Griever2112
I love this... Sony is pretty much trying to destroy this guys life for hacking the PS3, when he did it on the iPhone, we got a law passed saying it was legal to do... everyone seems to forget this is a VIDEO GAME SYSTEM, regardless of what is done once it is hacked, all he did was post information that was already discovered. He didn't hack the DoD, FBI, CIA, NSA, TSA, NCIS or Interpol... he showed how to hack the source code of a playstation, a piece of technology that becomes the owners property once it is purchased. Sony wants to come out ahead on this and put this to bed, it's simple, put out firmware update that monitors system settings, if the system does not have the update then they loose access to the PSN. Make everyone happy, hackers can keep their hacked PS3's and the crybabies and sony loyalists can feel safe knowing big brother is watching them.
hardwire
oh i am loving this after all the crap yall spewed about geo yesterday
suck it sony is a lieing manipulative bitch of a company and i said it once ill say it again
SONY YOUR ABOUT TO HAVE SOMTHING BITE YOU IN THE ASS AND YOUR GOING TO DESERVE IT.
prove your not microsoft drop the lawsuit and admit you screwed up (somthing m$ would never do)
Vipervire79
Wow! Sony, just go after the pirates.
GGCAN
If hackers want to modify their systems fine, but then Sony has every right to not let them get online.
As some people stated the machine is theirs, but Sony has the right to let you use their servers online....As well, to not affect other gamers experience playing online.
You don't own Sony's online services.
So if you want to play offline...go ahead and modify you console.
GGCAN
He hacks the PS3 and makes it available to everyone on the internet.
Now he wants us to believe him and his lawyer.
NOT !
cmoorerun
I'm surprised by all the negativity coming off my fellow gamers. I haven't hacked my console, but considering we buy these consoles outright instead of loaning them from their respective companies.... We should be allowed to do with them what we will
sistokid
soooo he fled
FuzzofPekinopolis
There has to be a negative result of his actions in order to prosecute right?
If he did something that has hurt Sony in any way, shape, or form, they have legal grounds to go to court. If he is violating a user agreement that he agreed to, he has broken the law. If it is all speculation on Sony's part as to what negative effects could happen, this case should be thrown out immediately.
And to some of you that have already posted. How can you separate what he has allegedly done from pirating? Making backup copies for yourself is fine. Downloading a licensed, copyrighted product that you have not paid for is illegal.
I'll try to use gaming terms so some of you can understand. Even a huge corporation has a bleed out time. Your character goes down and the blood spills from his torso, his vision is impaired, he is crippled from the pain, slowly crawling hoping for someone to patch him up, but it is too late he is dead.
In a game you just re-spawn, no big deal. In the real world when the profits are gone people lose there jobs, whole communities are affected, and the talent goes somewhere else. Who then makes these movies, games, technology, innovations? YOU
CareyGrant
1) People in the middle of a very serious court battle don't go to South America for "vacation." Total BS.
2) The guy has to beg money to pay for his legal fees, but he has money to travel to South America for a vacation?! Total BS.
I guess his legal defense fund was more of a flight to evade prosecution fund. What a prick.
cardinalsfan1122
Ok you guys are all missing the point of this case. It's not the fact that he hacked a PS3 that's ok as long as you don't sign an agreement that you won't and don't go on PSN. Because then you are not a threat to other users. Sony has provided proof that he made a PSN account in which he agreed to the terms of service which include not hacking. But he did so Sony is suing him because he could be a threat to other users. If you buy a PS3 and don't make an account and hack it your fine. Sony is doing the right thing they are trying to protect their system and the people who use it. He is obviously in Breach of contract, the fact that he released the info on how to hack it makes him an accomplis to anyone else who hacks using his instructions who also have an account.
Luck702
Luck702's comment is abusive and has been removed.
Luck702
Luck702's comment is abusive and has been removed.
JohnnyBuku
I am very surprised by the number of people siding with Sony here. I for one am angry about this, more at our judicial system than Sony.
yy197
is buying used games bad like piracy since sony not getting any money from it after the 1st time it was bought. ummmmmmmmmm. tricky gamestop
Blue_Vortex
I think Sony's lawyers are purposely spreading libel about this guy to get more support for their side, it's all a political move.
Freakhound Krew
What i find puzzling is that many on this page are supporting him but not really sure yeah sure i agree to do what you want but when you make a program that is able to tamper with online gameplay that should draw the line. Right? Piracy will be always there but the point is whether you use it for fun and good intentions ok so its not that bad but when they use it to ruin other expirences online to where its ridiculous let him suffer or something.
FuzzofPekinopolis
I haven't read up on the case so I am just going to express a thought that I have on the subject in general.
You should be able to do anything you want with something that you have purchased. As long as it does not damage or have an adverse effect on someone or something else. Has what he's done hurt Sony in any way, shape, or form?
The answer to that question would either justify or discredit said case.
T_Rexx
He begged all that money from those immoral alike imbeciles then went on vacation with a % of it? Serves them and him right when SONY gets their way..lol. You're a thief Geo and a nut brain one too being laughed @ by the hacking community. Your life is ruined kid!! Time to pen some cell rhymes...!
DaKatzPajamas
Sony needs to stop being all anal about this
Symicide
HAH!!!! I don't believe that for a millisecond. You don't go on vacation when you're under investigation or on trail. You do that after you're found innocent which in his case is about -87473873023230 to infinite.
I still say his hard drives had child pornography on them.
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