Sony granted subpoena for GeoHot visitors
A federal magistrate has granted Sony the ability to issue subpoenas, in a move the company hopes will reveal the identities of PlayStation 3...
A federal magistrate has granted Sony the ability to issue subpoenas, in a move the company hopes will reveal the identities of PlayStation 3 hackers. Wired reports that the decision granted by Magistrate Joseph Spero will allow Sony to subpoena the web provider of PS3 hacker George Hotz, as well as sites like YouTube and Google.
The subpoena will require the web provider, Bluehost, to give "all server logs, IP address logs, account information, account access records and application or registration forms" on Hotz's site. It can also be used more broadly to obtain "any other identifying information corresponding to persons or computers who have accessed or downloaded files" connected to the hacks.
Sony argued it needed the information to prove that Hotz had distributed the hack, and to settle jurisdictional confusion that has already resulted in a delay of the case. If Sony can prove that Hotz distributed the hack to California residents, it can sue Hotz as planned in San Francisco.
On the other hand, the subpoena is raising privacy concerns. Corynne McSherry, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sent a letter to Magistrate Spero calling the subpoenas "overly broad" and "inappropriate."
Besides Bluehost, Sony will be able to obtain information from YouTube regarding the IP addresses of those who watched a demonstration video, and Twitter for Hotz's tweets.
Sony is aggressively going after the hackers, threatening to sue anyone who distributed the software key. The company recently issued an ultimatum for hackers, which resulted soon after in bans from the PlayStation Network.
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Shacknews
replyComment on Sony granted subpoena for GeoHot visitors, by Steve Watts.
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Summary: A magistrate has granted Sony those subpoenas it was looking for, for BlueHost, Google, Yahoo, and Twitter. They hope to track down everyone who looked up the hacking info, but some feel it goes too far.
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That's a fair criticism, maybe I should have been clearer. The main issue is the proof of distribution and the jurisdictional issue. On the other hand, Sony has threatened to sue anyone distributing the hack, so having IP info on those who viewed it might lead them to more people who helped disseminate it.
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And what do they plan to do with that information is the question? I doubt any large corporations ability to treat such information with proper process.
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The ringing is coming... FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!
Oh, wait.
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That would be Steve Watts... the guy who wrote this post.
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Nitrium, update your script!
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lol wats
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They were giving out awesome usernames and I missed out?
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While Geohot's lawyer agreed to this as far I can see, I'm fairly surprised it was granted regardless due to the sheer breadth of what they were asking for. It seems so tangental to the case, unlikely to prove anything relevant (some of the viewers will undoubtedly be in California, but that's hardly substantial evidence that the case should be tried there).
If I want visitor info for some site, can I now collude with someone and file a lawsuit and subpoena it and just expect that third parties will play along?-
"substantial evidence" is not a standard that determines jurisdiction. it's about showing that he had minimum contacts in California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippo_Manufacturing_Co._v._Zippo_Dot_Com,_Inc.-
"A passive website that does little more than make information available to those who are interested init is not grounds for the exercise of personal jurisdiction."
Doesn't that seem like it would apply? He wasn't operating a business; the most you might claim would be comments sections. -
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Why did you grant them that, Steve Watts?
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Ahhh I don't understand the logic in going after one man, regardless whether or not he's responsible for current events; it's fruitless. Sony for whatever reason I guess thinks this is like cutting the head from the beast.
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Gotta make an example!
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I for one applaud Sony for doing this.. GeoFail has the ego the size of Texas, plastering his face all over the place instead of doing all his work underground. You think you'll just be able to do whatever you want? I really don't think this kids that smart and I really hope he gets what's coming too him. Make an example of this kid is what I say... And if anyone is freaking out about the IP stuff it's just for use in court to show he distributed the files. This whole PS3 JailBreak will be short lived and I'm glad at least one company is doing something about it.
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Yes the PS3 will be short lived from now until when the PS4 comes out.
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He's the goddamn Batman.
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I think some of you have it twisted. Other hackers are hiding on the forums going "I did that, Geohot copied my work." but you don't see them stepping up to the plate saying "I DID THAT SUE ME".
It's more balls than ego if anything. He did the work and hes fucking standing up for it. Everyone else is cowering in the corner and whining like some little bitches that they aren't getting their two minutes of fame.
I for one like to do whatever the fuck I want with things I purchase.
If you read the court documents Sony just doesn't give a fuck about the consumer. Their excuse for turning off OtherOS was "We didn't know the consumer excepted this feature to be available longer than 1 year." (limited warranty time) That right there is a big FUCK YOU to everyone that bought a PS3.
With that reasoning Sony can turn any fucking thing on the PS3 on or off whenever they want.
Yeah i'm totally down with that HUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRR DUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRR
tldr: make like a tree and get the fuck outta here.-
Amusing that when the PS3 was first released it was this big deal that USAF and LACAL both made supercomputer clusters out of them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxaLmS7XPiI
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This case goes beyond would be piracy or even Jealousy for Geohot; as you made clear you have for him. Even if you don't like him, this case has everything to do with you and your rights as a consumer. The problem with your thinking is that it is narrow minded. You are not seeing the big picture or the new foundation that will be laid for companies like Sony to dictate how consumer must use their products. You clearly do not understand how laws works or how far a company will go to ensure profit and control.
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I ' l l t y p e s l o w f o r t h e m o d e r a t o r s .... Geohot should NOT be sued by Sony for everyone stealling games. From what I have read, it was not his intention for people to burn copies of games. Like the site I posted early, it seems to be up and running. Unless Geohot has a completely different name and running a website on a different server. I guess they will have to prove that in the courts. On a side note, what's http://www.w3.org/ ? Privacy workshop? huh? lol
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Its against Sony's online agreement which GeoHot says he never connected to, in turn, never agreed to. Not only that, he should nit be held liable for what others used the hack for. If you believe him, which he would say the same thing under oath, pirating games was not his idea of what people would use his work for. Kind of like the free games you can download on the iPhone, its not his fault that happened.
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Sony isn't suing GeoHot because he broke the PSN terms of service. They're suing him because he disseminated information on circumventing measures that control access to copyrighted works, which is illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It doesn't matter what anyone is using the hack for, and no one is holding him liable for that.
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