Hotz Also Announces Boycott of Sony Products
Today on the Official Playstation Blog, Sony announced they have settled the much publicized lawsuit it filed against George Hotz, who revealed jailbreak keys to the Playstation 3 earlier this year.
“The parties reached an agreement in principle on March 31, 2011,” the statement read in part. “As part of the settlement, Hotz consented to a permanent injunction.”
The injunction stipulates Hotz can longer distribute the codes that, among other things, allow for easier piracy of the PS3. He is also barred from unauthorized access to any Sony product now and in the future. No further details of the agreement were disclosed, including whether Sony made any concessions.
The agreement is made public a week after the loose band of hackers known as Anonymous waged attacks on the Playstation Network service and several online components of Sony’s business. For Sony, the settlement avoids the possible precedents that would come with any judgment against them. For Hotz, he avoids a costly litigation process, which to this point was funded in large part by community donations.
“It was never my intention to cause any users trouble or to make piracy easier,” Hotz said in the Playstation.com statement. “I’m happy to have the litigation behind me.”
But on his blog, Hotz was more vitriolic, stating he would never purchase another Sony product again.
“I encourage you to do the same,” Hotz said. “And if you bought something SONY recently, return it.”
Hotz also briefly touched on community concerns, including those who donated to his cause, as to what he received as part of the settlement. Hotz previously said he would accept a settlement if it included a public apology from Sony and the return of OtherOS on the system.
“The terms of the settlement agreement are ‘confidential’ and the matter requires that they be ‘confidential,’ ” Hotz said. “By contract, I cannot discuss the Action or my views regarding the Action.”
Hotz says he will make a statement on unused donation money in the future.
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Kind of anti-climactic :/
Finally. I’m sick of hearing him think that he’s the innocent one.
Boycott Sony products? Sorry. I’m not going back to the 360 after all the bull**** I went through with that system. Their tactics are questionable, but as a consumer I’d rather use a Sony system than some of the competition.
Besides which, I don’t even think he was entirely in the right anyways, so I sure ain’t boycotting on his behalf; the main concern with this lawsuit had less to do with him and more to do with what staggeringly bad precedents might have been set had Sony actually won, which could have led to some damn bad places when it comes to consumer rights. I’m glad it was settled on both sides, because the implications on the chance Sony somehow won pretty much blow.
@ChaoticFox: Yeah, it is anticlimactic after everything the past couple weeks, but these sort of lawsuits rarely seem to reach trial. Somebody usually settles and usually for financial reasons. Like the whole deal with the Watchmen film, for example, where the studio seemed to cave and pay Fox largely because if the trial went on any longer they would likely have been forced to push back the start date. Or for sticking to video games, the EA versus Activision thing over Brutal Legend a couple years back.
In the end…
Sony and Geohotz eat pizza!
this comment is for all you fucktards that hhave no life
Jesus Christ, the previous comment was NOT mine! A friend of mine used the computer while I was on the other side of the classroom! Don’t take the first comment seriously, please!
Finally!
Not that this will stop future hacking of the PS3.
The damage has already been done.
krazeeKidd102, what are you doing on a Sonic fansite at school?!
Open up your ‘Introduction to Web Design’ book and study!
Good, I’m glad it ended peacefully. I guess we were all alittle wrong in our previous judgements: Hotz isn’t a ciminal and Sony isn’t some sadistic jerk bent on unfair punishment and obliteration. That is of course a generalization–I know everyone didn’t see it one of those two ways.
@Lucas Hinz Pizza is always the best way to make up after an argument!
Meh. I don’t care. I’m getting a PS3, anyway. There are far more PS3 games that interest me than 360 games, plus its got Blu-Ray built in. Win, win as far as I’m concerned.
@Mike: Didn’t they manage to regain control of the PS3 security, though?
The PSP’s security is definitely borked though; but to be fair, it didn’t matter, because the PSP homebrew scene had a habit of finding ways around every firmware update even before all this.
Too bad Sony didn’t make his contract vague enough that he would too scared to mention anything Sony related every again. I’m sure this guy is already cooking up ways to get his name and picture in the news for the attention he craves.
Found this incredible platform for homebrew you can just about anything you want on it, you don’t even have to hack it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer
Doing to see if I can find some DooM ports for it, wish me look folks!
Yeah, shame on him for trying to make a name for himself. He should just hide behind an anonymous internet screen name for the rest of his life, like the rest of us good-for-nothings.
@ Tristan
I think it needs to be “no longer” not “longer,” simply for editing purposes
@ChaoticFox: I don’t think he was looking to make a name for himself. I imagine he would have preferred the whole thing didn’t get this particular kind of attention; I mean, media attention or not, who likes or welcomes lawsuits, right? Having your real name associated with such a hobby probably isn’t good for you in the long run, besides.
@dl316bh
I was responding sarcastically to Sonical’s smart-ass comments.
@ChaoticFox: Oh. Uhh… I’ll be over here. With the duncecap.
*duncecapped*
Not get a PS3?
Yeah right….
My 360 sucks and I’m waiting to send it in to repair.
I’m the only one out of my friends who don’t have a PS3 and I’m left out from all the cool looking games.
Sorry but the PS3 is gonna stay on my wishlist.
Hmm… Uncharted 3 and InFamous 2, or trading my PS3 in for a very vague reason? Meh, if it makes you happy, Hotz, I’ll go to Sony’s main headquarters and throw a cherry-flavored gumball at their window. But I have people that need to be electrocuted, so till than…
360 sucks soooooooooooooooooooooo hard, PS3 Is soooooooooooooooooooooo excellent!
Eh… I’ll keep my 360. I’ve certainly been considering trading up for a while, but for right now, I’m keeping my cursed Hex Box. And I say cursed because I bought my 360 just to play Sonic 2006. And I’ve regretted it ever since.
I have relatively unfavorable views towards Sony/Microsoft and their systems, the only Sony manufactured item I own is a PS3 and I already don’t purchase any other Sony manufactured item.
Still, my love for some games is greater than my hatred for Sony so… yeah. If not for Sonic Generations and Hyperdimension Neptunia, I would have sold my PS3 almost two weeks ago.
@ Amuro
I bought my PS3 for Sonic 2006, and, well, we know how that went. I would’ve sold mine if it weren’t for Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank.
@sorananimeforever: I would’ve sold mine if not for Soul Calibur IV, Sonic Unleashed, and Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2. Not to mention Marvel vs. Capcom 3.