Judge Lets Sony Access GeoHot's PayPal Account 288
An anonymous reader writes with an excerpt from TechDirt that says "Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero has awarded Sony a subpoena that grants the company access to the PayPal account of PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George Hotz, also known as GeoHot, for the last two years. Emil: Spero ruled that the Japanese console maker may acquire 'documents sufficient to identify the source of funds in California that went into any PayPal account associated with geohot@gmail.com for the period of January 1, 2009, to February 1, 2011.'"
Re:Looks like they'll have my name... (Score:5, Informative)
I donated $50.
Not if you donated to his legal fund. The legal fund donations only started AFTER Feb 1st.
This time period only covers donations made during the time period is was actually working on the hacks.
Re:Simply Put (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Sony (Score:5, Informative)
Since it's a civil suit, law enforcement doesn't really have a right to go through his financial records. There is something called "Discovery" though, where each party in a case can petition the courts to force the other side to turn over pertinent records that they believe could help make their case. Discovery is what gives Sony the right, since they managed to convince a judge that the information there could be constructive to their case.
Re:You're kidding me!? (Score:5, Informative)
They wont have access to your record as the date range Sony is requesting predates his legal fund. I donated $25 to his legal fund. We're both fine.
I imagine what Sony is doing is trying to prove that his motivations are backed by money or something, and they're going to either find Sony competition or something donating large sums of money to him, or some large piracy groups interested in seeing him succeed, and the judge actually thought it was worth looking into.
I think this is bogus to be honest. They should focus on the real problem at hand: did he have the right to modify his PS3?
Re:Is it too late? (Score:5, Informative)
You might want to read the plain-text court transcripts on this case over at www.groklaw.net. PJ's work there is commendable, and the actual court transcripts are there to back up what she says.
The license really didn't permit Sony to do that.
The class-action suit against Sony regarding removal of OtherOS, and whether their license actually did permit that behaviour, or whether their use of warranty to claim the right, makes for some truly fascinating reading (I read the lot yesterday). I'd suggest popcorn, at the very least.
It's one hell of a class-action suit against Sony and it does not paint them in a particularly favourable light. What's more, the outcome of that case may well directly affect that of their case against GeoHot. Is it illegal to circumvent an illegal action, or is it self-defense? Tune into Groklaw. As the news arrives, you'll find the court transcripts there. That stuff's definitive, not mere opinion.
Look for "The Sony Class Action's First Amended Complaint, as text - Updated"
Re:Simply Put (Score:5, Informative)
The defendant is from New Jersey and obviously wants the case tried there, where as having it there would be more costly for Sony.
What do you mean by "more costly for Sony"?
Sony does business in all 50 States. Getting a team of lawers in/to NJ isn't an issue for them.
Sony wants this case heard in California because of the favorable Judicial climate there.
In that sense, allowing the case to be heard in NJ would be costly, but only because it lowers their chances of winning.
Re:Looks like they'll have my name... (Score:2, Informative)
People are still donating to Scott Roeder's defense fund and he walked into a church and assassinated a doctor.
I wonder what would happen if Planned Parenthood sued to get a list of those donors. Actually, that reminds me. Time to send P.P. my family's annual donation.
Re:Looks like they'll have my name... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Looks like they'll have my name... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Corporate rape (Score:5, Informative)
Not just Geohot.
There are a variety of others named in the suit, though mostly they are not based in the US and so aren't involved so much.
However there is also graf_chokolo, who has been thoroughly deconstructing the hypervisor and (unlike geo) publishing his work in a very community-oriented way. The guy's fascinaction is complete control of the PS3 and hypervisor from linux (not piracy).
A week or so back he was raided by the German police and much of his equipment confiscated. Now he is being sued by Sony for almost a million dollars.
Please go here and donate if you would like to support the efforts to fend off Sony - http://grafchokolo.com/ [grafchokolo.com]
The guy just doesn't have the public profile that geohot does, but he deserves public support every bit as much.
Re:You guys are hillarious. (Score:5, Informative)
- Thomas Hesse, President of Sony Music Entertainment's Global Digital Business, US Sales, and Corporate Strategy.
You funded terrorism (Score:4, Informative)
Congratulations to everyone who bought a PS3. You have funded terrorism. Sony will now use this money to scare the piss out of you. Will you give them more?
If you give Sony money, you are the enemy of gaming and freedom, and you are an enemy of mine. I only wish Slashdot permitted a longer foes list.
It is long past the time when we can pretend that where we spend our money does not shape our environment. It's called Capitalism, people.