"Free Speech Activist" Hosting PS3 Jailbreak Mirror
US University looking for trouble?
Sony's legal reaction to the recent PlayStation 3 hackings has caught the attention of free speech activist David Touretzky, a professor at private US research university Carnegie Mellon.
Touretzky is hosting a mirror of the files George Hotz used to breach the console's security and run homebrew software on the university's website, claiming that Sony's actions is a restriction of free speech and free computing.
"Our friends at Sony are having another bad day: i.e., doing something breathtakingly stupid, presumably because they don't know any better," writes Touretzky of the legal action the company has taken. "Hotz's jailbreak allows PS3 owners to run the software of their choice on a machine they have legally purchased.
"Free speech (and free computing) rights exist only for those determined to exercise them," he adds. "Trying to suppress those rights in the Internet age is like spitting in the wind.
"We will help our friends at Sony understand this by mirroring the geohot jailbreak files at Carnegie Mellon." Touretzky also fires a shot over the bow of Sony's legal department by goading, "no doubt you're eager to [send] legal threats to me and my university... check out what happened the last time a large corporation tried to stop the mirroring of technical information here: The Gallery of CSS Descramblers. Have you learned anything in ten years?"
It remains to be seen if Sony will add Touretzky and/or the university to its list of defendants, and whether the whole freedom of speech thing counts for a closed-system console. What do you think, readers?
Touretzky is hosting a mirror of the files George Hotz used to breach the console's security and run homebrew software on the university's website, claiming that Sony's actions is a restriction of free speech and free computing.
"Our friends at Sony are having another bad day: i.e., doing something breathtakingly stupid, presumably because they don't know any better," writes Touretzky of the legal action the company has taken. "Hotz's jailbreak allows PS3 owners to run the software of their choice on a machine they have legally purchased.
"Free speech (and free computing) rights exist only for those determined to exercise them," he adds. "Trying to suppress those rights in the Internet age is like spitting in the wind.
"We will help our friends at Sony understand this by mirroring the geohot jailbreak files at Carnegie Mellon." Touretzky also fires a shot over the bow of Sony's legal department by goading, "no doubt you're eager to [send] legal threats to me and my university... check out what happened the last time a large corporation tried to stop the mirroring of technical information here: The Gallery of CSS Descramblers. Have you learned anything in ten years?"
It remains to be seen if Sony will add Touretzky and/or the university to its list of defendants, and whether the whole freedom of speech thing counts for a closed-system console. What do you think, readers?
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Comments
deleted 13 Jan 2011 12:36
1/5
It seems the community is very much looking to get back what they ought to have ie OtherOS, this is not about piracy any-more, it genuinely is about the hacking and homebrew community taking back what's theirs for the greater community, Sony is going to have a very difficult fight and at the risk of not being allowed legally to ban consumers who use homebrew.
Also hasnt previous legal cases in the US shown that the Law is on side with the community in allowing electrical devices to install whatever software the consumer wants even if that means the security will be broken, iOS jailbreak now legal, and previous PS3 cases for Sony that were overturned later.
Also hasnt previous legal cases in the US shown that the Law is on side with the community in allowing electrical devices to install whatever software the consumer wants even if that means the security will be broken, iOS jailbreak now legal, and previous PS3 cases for Sony that were overturned later.
Dreadknux 13 Jan 2011 12:43
2/5
haritori wrote:
It seems the community is very much looking to get back what they ought to have ie OtherOS, this is not about piracy any-more, it genuinely is about the hacking and homebrew community taking back what's theirs for the greater community, Sony is going to have a very difficult fight and at the risk of not being allowed legally to ban consumers who use homebrew.
Also hasnt previous legal cases in the US shown that the Law is on side with the community in allowing electrical devices to install whatever software the consumer wants even if that means the security will be broken, iOS jailbreak now legal, and previous PS3 cases for Sony that were overturned later.
Also hasnt previous legal cases in the US shown that the Law is on side with the community in allowing electrical devices to install whatever software the consumer wants even if that means the security will be broken, iOS jailbreak now legal, and previous PS3 cases for Sony that were overturned later.
I don't think Sony will have a problem with banning the consoles. It seems that the homebrew community is arguing that paid-for hardware is free for them to plunder, but understand that they have no rights to a continued PSN service if they do go down that route. Which is fair I reckon - if you make a case that you bought a machine so you get to do what you like, then good for you. But it's entirely at the user's risk and the company has no obligation to continue serving that user because he stops being a consumer (in so far as breaking whatever service agreement is pitched when you first turn the console/online service on).
End of the day, I'm all for people tinkering with their stuff if it's genuinely for homebrew. History has shown that it most likely will not though. And I've never understood the desire to have Linux on a console in the first place - particularly when it couldn't take advantage of the console's total power and the whole UI horror of using a PC interface on your TV screen.
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DrkStr 13 Jan 2011 13:43
3/5
@haritori B******s!
What this is all about is the ability to run anything you want on closed hardware and that is always for piracy.
Remember this all started when geohotz said "I can now do whatever I want with the system. It's like I've got an awesome new power - I'm just not sure how to wield it." and then released how he did it.
Are you telling me that "I've got the keys to bank vault but all I'm going to do is look inside the vault, not steal anything" is a suitable defense when you've also put the way to cut the keys on the internet?
Don't you think the bank would move to change things to protect themselves and their investors?
That's all Sony has done and now some "hackers" have got pissed off and blown the bank vault open with explosives, but again, they aren't going to steal anything and if someone else does, it's not their fault.
Complete and utter b******s.
What this is all about is the ability to run anything you want on closed hardware and that is always for piracy.
Remember this all started when geohotz said "I can now do whatever I want with the system. It's like I've got an awesome new power - I'm just not sure how to wield it." and then released how he did it.
Are you telling me that "I've got the keys to bank vault but all I'm going to do is look inside the vault, not steal anything" is a suitable defense when you've also put the way to cut the keys on the internet?
Don't you think the bank would move to change things to protect themselves and their investors?
That's all Sony has done and now some "hackers" have got pissed off and blown the bank vault open with explosives, but again, they aren't going to steal anything and if someone else does, it's not their fault.
Complete and utter b******s.
Nynja 13 Jan 2011 16:17
4/5
@Svend_Joscelyne
FYI - if any of the hackers have created a PSN account, they waived their rights to a lawyer and acknowledged that Sony would use legal action if the Playstation 3 hardware or software has been tampered with.
FYI - if any of the hackers have created a PSN account, they waived their rights to a lawyer and acknowledged that Sony would use legal action if the Playstation 3 hardware or software has been tampered with.
deleted 13 Jan 2011 16:32
5/5
@Nynja
Thats why Geohots legal papers state he has never had a PSN account, his lawyer knows what he is on about.
@DrkStr
I am talking about the community here, sure piracy will happen 100% it will, but what i was saying is it isnt about piracy at the moment or ever for the home-brew community they want to be able to use the PS3 to do things and in actual fact a backup launcher isn't illegal or for piracy its for back ups of legit owned software, of course this is very grey area and piracy is going to happen I know.
The point I am making is Sony will lose this as Geohot and overflow will show in there defence it was action to reinstate the OtherOS.
Geohot is being done for extortion too (lol) as he took donations and requested employment on the basis of his hacking of Sony security.
Thats why Geohots legal papers state he has never had a PSN account, his lawyer knows what he is on about.
@DrkStr
I am talking about the community here, sure piracy will happen 100% it will, but what i was saying is it isnt about piracy at the moment or ever for the home-brew community they want to be able to use the PS3 to do things and in actual fact a backup launcher isn't illegal or for piracy its for back ups of legit owned software, of course this is very grey area and piracy is going to happen I know.
The point I am making is Sony will lose this as Geohot and overflow will show in there defence it was action to reinstate the OtherOS.
Geohot is being done for extortion too (lol) as he took donations and requested employment on the basis of his hacking of Sony security.