Sony Sends DMCA Takedown Notice To GitHub

All Exploits by wmbetts · 2011-01-29 16:07 · Score: 2

I wonder if all exploits could fall under the DCMA.

--
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Re:All Exploits by hedwards · 2011-01-29 16:29 · Score: 4, Interesting

Doesn't matter whether it does or not, precedence indicates that this is protected speech. Or at least that's what the courts said about DeCSS, and this even less ambiguously speech. Not to mention that Sony doesn't get to file a DMCA take down notice on this as the code they're requesting be taken down doesn't belong to them. The key itself isn't subject to copyright.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:45 · Score: 3, Informative

The notice they filed isn't about copyright infringement, so it doesn't matter, that the code is not theirs, nor would it make sense for the code to be theirs. The claim they're making is that those repositories contain circumvention devices. I'd imagine the takedown isn't a big deal at all, as whoever put the code on GitHub has a complete copy of the history on their own machines.
Re:All Exploits by buzzsawddog · 2011-01-29 16:46 · Score: 2, Informative

No... Not all exploits deal with copyright material. The DMCA can only be used in cases involving copyright material. "the DMCA focuses largely on the facilitation of infringement through circumvention tools and services primarily designed or produced to circumvent an access or copy control. In other words, the DMCA represents a shift in focus from infringement to the tools of infringers." 17 U.S.C. 1201-1205 V.A.3. It is stated the purpose is "to prevent large-scale piracy of digital content over the Internet" However the DMCA does cover a lot of crap...: 1. it prohibits "circumvent[ing] a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this [copyright] title." 17 U.S.C. 1201(a)(1)(A) 2. it prohibits the manufacture of or trafficking in products or technology designed to circumvent a technological measure that controls access to a copyrighted work. 17 U.S.C. 1201(a)(2) 3. it prohibits the manufacture of or trafficking in products or technology designed to circumvent measures that protect a copyright owner's rights under the Copyright Act. 17 U.S.C. 1201(b). Also interesting to note: 1. circumvention of access controls, 17 U.S.C. 1201(a)(1) 2. trafficking in technology primarily designed to facilitate circumvention of access controls, 17 U.S.C. 1201(a)(2) An interesting fact is that it does not prevent "the act of circumventing copy controls", only the trafficking of tools that circumvent copy controls.
Re:All Exploits by BLKMGK · 2011-01-29 16:52 · Score: 3, Informative

Would this be the same courts that reamed 2600 magazine for LINKING to deCSS code?

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Re:All Exploits by mug+funky · 2011-01-29 16:56 · Score: 2

interesting about the "primarily designed to..."
that does not include homebrew. jailbreaking isn't just about piracy. it's about owning the machine you bought.
Re:All Exploits by QuoteMstr · 2011-01-29 17:05 · Score: 5, Insightful

All right --- Sony appears to be guilty of perjury after filing a takedown notice for someone else's work.
Who is going to do something about it? Selective enforcement is wonderful, isn't it? If Sony succeeds in this, it'll embolden others to file takedown notices against anything they dislike for any reason whatsoever.
Re:All Exploits by /dev/trash · 2011-01-29 17:09 · Score: 1

yeah we'll see who wins.
Re:All Exploits by hedwards · 2011-01-29 17:16 · Score: 5, Interesting

Yes, but they don't have a leg to stand on otherwise. It's been settled since all that DeCSS stuff that code is protected by the 1st amendment. So the only way that they could file a takedown notice here would be if they owned the copyright to it.
Sony can't legally file the takedown as they have to state under penalty of perjury that there is no legal use for the software that they want taken down.
Re:All Exploits by hedwards · 2011-01-29 17:17 · Score: 2

The developers would, or more likely they'd get the EFF involved. It's not selective enforcement the law leaves it up to the party that's been wronged to enforce it.
Re:All Exploits by black6host · 2011-01-29 17:19 · Score: 1

Nobody is going to do anything. Look at the crap that went on taking down domains for the benefit of "rights holders". Money talks, bullshit walks.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:48 · Score: 0

Nobody is going to do anything. Look at the crap that went on taking down domains for the benefit of "rights holders". Money talks, bullshit walks.
Looked at news about Egypt much?
Re:All Exploits by 644bd346996 · 2011-01-29 17:58 · Score: 5, Informative

It's not a real takedown. It's a normal cease-and-desist letter, and even if it were a real takedown notice, it's only perjury if the person submitting it isn't authorized to act on behalf of the person claiming ownership of a work being infringed. Neither the copyright holder or his lawyer are guilty of perjury if the copyright holder lies to his lawyer (or is mistaken) and thus causes a frivolous takedown notice to be sent.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:05 · Score: 3, Interesting

Not that there's "no legal use"... just that its primary purpose is illegal. The Other-OS-to-piracy link is pretty straightforward to lawyers.
Re:All Exploits by QuoteMstr · 2011-01-29 19:03 · Score: 1

Dammit, stop modding my comment up and mod this one up instead.
Re:All Exploits by Runaway1956 · 2011-01-29 19:04 · Score: 2

BULL SHIT. You file a legal document, in which you attest that all the facts set forth are true and correct to the best of your knowledge, then you have committed PERJURY. You lied to your lawyer, to induce him to file the legal document? That's PERJURY. Are you Bill Clinton, trying again to parse words to meaningless noise? In short, don't lie to the court, don't lie to your lawyer, don't lie anytime anywhere that any type of legal "facts" are being discussed. Asshole.

--
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Re:All Exploits by Runaway1956 · 2011-01-29 19:07 · Score: 1

I'm glad to see that some people have their heads on straight. When you purchase a physical item, it is in fact YOURS. Sony has no right to determine how you may or may not use the item you have purchased. Jailbreaking is an honorable pastime, avocation, or even profession. Fuck Sony, and fuck anyone who thinks like Sony.

--
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 19:17 · Score: 1

Since I first heard about the DMCA takedown notices on source code such as DeCSS... I have been wondering how it could be seen as anything but a law designed to silence people, bringing up all sorts of 1st amendment problems. It has always seemed to me that this was just waiting for the right court case to make the anti-circumvention part of the law go away.
However, I am just waiting for how the Supreme Court will eventually weasel out of that, or how far companies like Sony will go to keep this law from being tested by the highest court. I'm cynical, but I don't want to be.
Re:All Exploits by Nursie · 2011-01-29 20:21 · Score: 3, Informative

It's all gone back up at gitorious anyway, which is based in Norway and harder to fuck with.
Re:All Exploits by mysidia · 2011-01-29 20:24 · Score: 2

Nowhere in the text of the DMCA is there any "take down letter" procedure whatsoever for "circumvention devices".
Re:All Exploits by anomaly256 · 2011-01-29 21:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

Which is most unfortunate as it is complete hogwash in practice. Pirates are using psjailbreak devices, not OtherOS. OtherOS doesn't facilitate piracy of any kind. Nor does Asbestos. Nor do the 'Open' SDKs. The clear and obvious fact that everyone seems to be missing is that piracy continues completely unabated by the legal actions of Sony or the censorship it's trying to enforce. People really need to stop confusing these 2 issues as being the same thing.
Re:All Exploits by shentino · 2011-01-29 22:22 · Score: 3, Informative

First of all, Universal WON that DeCSS case, so it's actually unfavorable.
Second, Sony can file any takedown notice they darn please. All they have to worry about is how much trouble they'll get in if they're caught.
Re:All Exploits by shentino · 2011-01-29 22:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

If corporations like it, it's not good for you.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:42 · Score: 0

99.9% of jailbreaks will be done to facilitate piracy. That's the reality, and all your bullshit about it being honorable is just that - bullshit.
Re:All Exploits by jopsen · 2011-01-29 23:30 · Score: 1

Neither the copyright holder or his lawyer are guilty of perjury if the copyright holder lies to his lawyer (or is mistaken) and thus causes a frivolous takedown notice to be sent.
I'm sure there're limits as to how stupid you can pretend to be... But as you said this is not a take down notice, just cease-and-desist, which might constitute harassment...
Re:All Exploits by 644bd346996 · 2011-01-29 23:37 · Score: 4, Informative

According to the law at issue, the only portion of a DMCA takedown notice that is under penalty of perjury is that the person filing it is authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner alleging infringement.
For a DMCA takedown counter-notice, the poster needs to assert under penalty of perjury that they have a good faith belief that the takedown was a mistake or misidentification. The lack of a requirement that the party issuing the takedown make a similar statement of belief under penalty of perjury is the real bullshit here, as it violated the principle of equal protection under law.
Re:All Exploits by roystgnr · 2011-01-29 23:49 · Score: 3, Informative

It's been settled since all that DeCSS stuff that code is protected by the 1st amendment.
The DeCSS case specifically was "settled" exactly the opposite way. Freedom of speech didn't do jack to help the glider or bnetd authors either.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 00:08 · Score: 0

what about the fact that rooting the droid is a form of jailbreaking it :P that doesn't facilitate piracy but gives the user move control over the hardware and software, thus no limitations due to software
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 01:17 · Score: 1

It's not about the "primary" purpose, it's about "substantial non-infringing uses". OtherOS is a legitimate feature, since it was advertised on the Boxes by Sony themselves, so this should count for those projects that (advertise that they) aim to restore this feature.
Re:All Exploits by CronoCloud · 2011-01-30 02:48 · Score: 2

OtherOS is a legitimate feature, since it was advertised on the Boxes by Sony themselves
No, it wasn't. Check your PS3 box...I'll wait.
Re:All Exploits by DrVxD · 2011-01-30 03:05 · Score: 2

Money talks, bullshit walks.
That doesn't really apply in this case - the bullshitters have the money (so, nothing new there then - or had you not noticed the amount of crap that the monied mega-corps get away with?)
More like "Money talks, everything else bends over and reaches for the vaseline."

--
Not everything that can be measured matters; Not everything that matters can be measured.
Re:All Exploits by TheRaven64 · 2011-01-30 04:05 · Score: 2

The takedown notice provision of the DMCA is actually fairly benign. It is there to protect safe harbours. If you host someone else's content for them, then you must comply with a takedown notice filed. You must also comply with a subsequent counter-notice to reinstate it, if the person putting the stuff on your site claims that copyright is not infringed. At that point, it's out of your hands and you still count as a safe harbour (you are not filtering, so you are not responsible for infringing content). The person asserting copyright must then sue the person who uploaded it directly, not the person hosting it[1]. This, however, is a cease-and-desist letter, which has no legal force but serves notice that the person receiving it has to either comply or be taken to court.
[1] It's not clear to me how this works if the host is in the USA, but the uploader is elsewhere. Does this provide a loophole? Can someone China upload stuff to YouTube, file a counter-notice, and allow Google to continue to host infringing material with impunity?

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Re:All Exploits by jbengt · 2011-01-30 05:55 · Score: 1

From the link provided:

Neither the trial court nor the appellate court considered First Amendment issues relating to potential abuse of the DMCA's anti-dissemination provision to suppress academic research in cryptography.
Re:All Exploits by Bigjeff5 · 2011-01-30 05:57 · Score: 1

Uh... it cites the DMCA act and specifically sites the anti-circumvention clause as grounds for removal.
That's how DMCA takedown notices are made.
In other words, a DMCA notice is a type of Cease and Desist letter. All DMCA notices are C&D letters, but not all C&D letters are DMCA notices. DMCA notices must be responded to in a certain way - namely, immediate removal of the offending material. Github doesn't get an option in this situation, it must, by law, remove the material or become culpable in the (alleged) copyright violation. It could also injure their ability to maintain safe-harbor status (i.e. instead of getting a takedown notice, they get a co-defendant status in a lawsuit).
Clear?

--
Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller
Re:All Exploits by russotto · 2011-01-30 06:04 · Score: 4, Informative

Uh... it cites the DMCA act and specifically sites the anti-circumvention clause as grounds for removal.
That's how DMCA takedown notices are made.
No. A DMCA takedown notice is a specific type of notice which follows the provisions of 17 USC 512. The anti-circumvention provisions are a completely separate part of the DMCA, codified in 17 USC 1201. And the DMCA does not provided a process for filing a takedown notice for circumvention devices.
Re:All Exploits by Truekaiser · 2011-01-30 06:16 · Score: 0

Yup and Egypt will still have a united states backed dictator, all be it with a new thin coat of a democratic regime. Just because they have a canal that most of the oil tankers that transport oil to the united states and a pipeline too that carries the stuff we won't support a actual Egyptian run democracy. Because Deity forbid they grow a backbone and use it to help their own people rather then be exploited so less then 5% of the world's population can continue to consume 25% or more of the world's resources ignorant of what hell that causes other human beings.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 06:45 · Score: 0

Agreed, absolutely. Just different way of saying the same thing. It's a sad state of affairs that has been going on since civilization began. And I don't see it changing anytime soon.
Re:All Exploits by morgauxo · 2011-01-30 07:11 · Score: 1

I would like to try Linux on the PS3. The Cell processor seems very intriguing. Sounds like too much trouble and uncertainty though. Guess I won't be buying a PS3!
Re:All Exploits by shentino · 2011-01-30 08:46 · Score: 1

The lawyer is the agent of the copyright holder and acts on his behalf. Anything the lawyer knows, is imputed to his client.
Re:All Exploits by shentino · 2011-01-30 08:47 · Score: 1

1st amendment rights only protect you from government censorship.
Letting corporations do the government's dirty work is just a nice loophole.
And since corporations own the government anyway, it's not really different from the status quo.
Re:All Exploits by 644bd346996 · 2011-01-30 09:31 · Score: 2

It's quite possible that sending frivolous takedowns could result in some kind of fraud charges for the copyright holder and FRCP rule 11 sanctions for the law firm, but the DMCA itself does almost nothing to dissuade frivolous notices.
Re:All Exploits by Yvanhoe · 2011-01-30 09:50 · Score: 1

Bah, host them in a free country and be gone with it !

--
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 12:58 · Score: 0

I'm starting to belive that buying a PS3 was the worse decision I've made in trying to build a nice entertainment system. The PS3 with all it's great hardware, sucks as a decent media management device. The system is a disfunctional piece of garbage, since they make it very difficult for developers to add real value and software to the system.
Re:All Exploits by AmiMoJo · 2011-01-30 22:52 · Score: 1

There is an easy way to resolve your problems with the DMCA: Move your servers to Europe.
The EU specifically allows reverse-engineering and the defeating of copy-protection for the purposes of interoperability. The code and the encryption key are protected by law here.

--
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Re:All Exploits by CelticWhisper · 2011-01-31 06:08 · Score: 1

Then they should go after the people running the pirated software for the civil tort of running pirated software.
You don't arrest people for buying guns when they go around shooting people. You arrest them for shooting people. If I buy a gun and never once discharge it (jailbreaking for curiosity), I have done nothing wrong. If I buy a gun and discharge it into a paper target at a marksmanship competition (jailbreaking to run FOSS or f@h or the like), I have done nothing wrong. If I buy a gun and discharge it into someone's head (piracy, albeit a horribly disproportionate analogy) I have done something wrong and deserve to be prosecuted not for my ownership of the gun, not for my pulling of the trigger, but for my harm of another.
Mentalities like yours are the same ones that give people like MADD their political power. "A statistically insignificant number of individuals do X with Y ill effect, so let's make everyone's lives harder for the sake of stopping that statistical minority!"
In a word, no.

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Re:All Exploits by Ciggy · 2011-01-31 08:33 · Score: 1

All right --- Sony appears to be guilty of perjury after filing a takedown notice for someone else's work.

[Emphasis added] Does that mean the actual creator of the work can go after Sony for piracy (sic) and do them for copyright infringement - if Sony are indeed claiming to own the copyright on the work they created and thus for which they have copyright?

--

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet;
A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell
Re:All Exploits by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-31 11:28 · Score: 0

Who are you to tell anyone when to lie or not?
I am a lawyer, this is legal advice.
Re:All Exploits by Safety+Cap · 2011-02-08 05:59 · Score: 1

It's all gone back up at gitorious anyway,

Link?

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Yeah, right.

wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by unity100 · 2011-01-29 16:11 · Score: 1, Troll

arent they. the real hacker underground is intertwined with open source. targeting the places where these crowds regular, is not something wise.

but morons which are dubbed as lawyers in some countries naturally would have no idea about that. they got too much used to bullying defenseless citizens through law.

i wonder what will they do to sony's online assets.

--
Read radical news here

Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by Derekloffin · 2011-01-29 16:20 · Score: 2

All that kind of radical reaction will do is put Sony in a better light. One hacker apparently already tried a blatant 'stop or else' blackmail threat. All that does it give Sony ammo saying 'hey this lot is a bunch of anarchists and criminals'.
Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:23 · Score: 4, Insightful

arent they. the real hacker underground is intertwined with open source. targeting the places where these crowds regular, is not something wise.
but morons which are dubbed as lawyers in some countries naturally would have no idea about that. they got too much used to bullying defenseless citizens through law.
i wonder what will they do to sony's online assets.
Nothing. Stop dramatizing.
Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:12 · Score: 0

Nothing besides getting smacked down in court because hackers got everyone into a frenzy and subsequently a lawsuit over Sony's rootkitted music CDs?
When hackers start telling people that Sony is trying to make it illegal to do "jailbreaking", millions of iPhone owners who have already jailbroken their phones will get up in arms since it would make them all easily tracked down criminals.
Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:25 · Score: 0

Sending EMPty threats won't do us any good.
Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by xero314 · 2011-01-30 07:27 · Score: 1

'hey this lot is a bunch of anarchists and criminals'.
Woe. This is offensive to anarchists. Anarchy has nothing to do with blackmail or threats. Anarchy is about self governance, plan and simple.
Re:wow. they are upsetting pretty dangerous crowds by Vectormatic · 2011-01-30 23:37 · Score: 1

i wonder what will they do to sony's online assets.
That would be the wrong response
Fight these fuckers with their own tools, include the line "The licensed software, and or libraries can NOT be used by lawyers....... in any case which concerns legal action......" in GPL v3.1, get google et all on board, and condemn them to a life of microsoft slavery. Actively monitor IPs connecting to getfirefox.com for known law-firms, and sue the fuckers into the poor house for license violation.

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People, what a bunch of bastards

They should file a counter-notice by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:15 · Score: 5, Insightful

They should file a counter-notice, citing the interoperability clauses :)

Re:They should file a counter-notice by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

They should file a counter notice, citing the fact that they wrote the code themselves and it even compiles with PSl1ght SDK, not the sony SDK, su they are completely in the clear and Sony is just harrassing them. What Sony is doing is completely illegal.
Re:They should file a counter-notice by monkyyy · 2011-01-29 19:19 · Score: 0

would they? why couldn't the guy hire a lawyer though his user name(and paying in cash somehow), plead the 5th as they say

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Re:They should file a counter-notice by Bigjeff5 · 2011-01-30 06:00 · Score: 1

Thanks to the DMCA, a person's original code can violate copyright law by circumventing protection mechanisms.
That's why most freedom-types think it's pretty fucked up (at least provision 512, anyway).

--
Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller

That was fast by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Perhaps the real news should be how quickly github caved and removed all of the projects in question.

Re:That was fast by Plombo · 2011-01-29 16:30 · Score: 5, Informative

On the other hand, as a response to Sony's takedown notice, they started posting all of their DMCA takedown notices publicly. That's what enabled me to find this information in the first place.
Re:That was fast by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:34 · Score: 1

They are legally obligated to do so. They are being open about it though, and if the developer files a counter-notice they can put it back up.
Re:That was fast by hedwards · 2011-01-29 16:43 · Score: 5, Interesting

Basically what's going on is that Sony had their attorneys file a fraudulent take down request. Github will look at it and probably put the materials back online in the near future. Right now they're pretty clearly commiting perjury
Question: What are the notice and takedown procedures for web sites?

Question: What are the notice and takedown procedures for web sites?
Answer: In order to have an allegedly infringing web site removed from a service provider's network, or to have access to an allegedly infringing website disabled, the copyright owner must provide notice to the service provider with the following information:
The name, address, and electronic signature of the complaining party [512(c)(3)(A)(i)]
The infringing materials and their Internet location [512(c)(3)(A)(ii-iii)], or if the service provider is an "information location tool" such as a search engine, the reference or link to the infringing materials [512(d)(3)].
Sufficient information to identify the copyrighted works [512(c)(3)(A)(iv)].
A statement by the owner that it has a good faith belief that there is no legal basis for the use of the materials complained of [512(c)(3)(A)(v)].
A statement of the accuracy of the notice and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on the behalf of the owner [512(c)(3)(A)(vi)].
Once notice is given to the service provider, or in circumstances where the service provider discovers the infringing material itself, it is required to expeditiously remove, or disable access to, the material. The safe harbor provisions do not require the service provider to notify the individual responsible for the allegedly infringing material before it has been removed, but they do require notification after the material is removed.
Re:That was fast by Kalriath · 2011-01-29 21:31 · Score: 1

Failing to do so would lose their immunity under the DMCA to prosecution. Once they've done so though, a counter notice is sufficient to restore access to the content though - without losing their immunity.

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For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
Re:That was fast by ChrisLambrou · 2011-01-29 22:20 · Score: 2

Thanks to the DMCA, GitHub has no meaningful choice other than to comply with the take-down request, unfortunately. It's now down to the repository owners to ask GitHub to reinstate them, at which point it becomes a legal matter between them and Sony, with GitHub being free of any legal liability to Sony (at least with respect to the DMCA). It's not particularly newsworthy that they caved - it would have been far more newsworthy if they hadn't.
Re:That was fast by shentino · 2011-01-29 22:25 · Score: 2

It's hardly caving to comply with a federal law that allows the affected party to file a counter notice.
Re:That was fast by shentino · 2011-01-29 22:41 · Score: 2

Unfortunately, to send a counter notice you have to allege under penalty of perjury that the violations are untrue, and you also have to consent to be sued.
Seeing as how Sony already sued Geohot without legal provocation on their *own* initiative, I do not think anyone is going to instigate a lawsuit by slapping back a counter-notice.
Re:That was fast by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:49 · Score: 0

Not at all surprising, really. Regardless of the final outcome, intentionally disregarding a DMCA notice puts one at additional risk (legally) for a much bigger and costlier finding the courts. While I would like to think that eventually the courts would make the same finding for PS3 hacking that they have found for iPhone hacking (i.e. its legal), until that happens, anyone with actual money on the table will follow the laws that minimize their exposure.
Re:That was fast by 644bd346996 · 2011-01-29 23:26 · Score: 2

They don't have any immunity in the first place, as this notice is not about infringement (it's about circumvention devices), so it isn't covered by the DMCA's safe harbor provision.
Re:That was fast by jopsen · 2011-01-29 23:41 · Score: 3

Perhaps the real news should be how quickly github caved and removed all of the projects in question.
Agree... The fact that github can be bullied around like this is pretty upsetting...
By the way, may I suggest that someone prints these numbers in a newspaper... Either through a letter to the editor, or in an ad, how hard can that be...
Re:That was fast by smallfries · 2011-01-30 03:22 · Score: 1

While they don't have immunity, under the circumvention clauses they would be liable for a claim of secondary infringement - this would require proving a commercial motive and a knowledge of the distribution. By acting so quickly in the takedown Github are demonstrating that they had no prior knowledge of the infringement and thus protecting themselves in court.
It seems weird (after a quick browse of the FAQs at ChillingEffects) that there is a counter-notice procedure for infringement claims that are in error, but not one for circumvention claims that are in error. It seems very strange that the law was written to offer some benefit of the doubt to the service provider (through safe harbor) for infringement, but that circumvention is treated so differently.

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Re:That was fast by nedlohs · 2011-01-30 03:36 · Score: 1

How are they commiting perjury? And how is a fraudulent request.
They tick all the boxes in the things you quote.
Re:That was fast by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 05:15 · Score: 2, Informative

It's not a fraudulent takedown request, it's a trick. It's a letter demanding removal of the code, on the basis that it violates the law (a different clause of the DMCA, the one that bans circumventing copyright protection devices, NOT the clause that allows for rapid takedowns of copyright material that you own).
Of course, there is no provision for takedown notices under that clause. You simply might (or might not) be breaking the law if you write, distribute etc. such code.
Sony's letter actually just says "You may be breaking the law, please remove those materials since they are considered illegal". It doesn't have any legal status. However it is designed to look closely like an actual DMCA takedown, so that GitHub will do what people usually do (in fact, usually have to do) when they get DMCA takedowns - remove the content first, ask questions later.
The clue is in this part

[6] I have a good faith belief that the circumvention of effective access controls and/or copyright protection measures identified above is not authorized by law;

A lot of things are 'not authorized by law'. That doesn't make them illegal. At worst, it makes them unlawful. In fact, section 3 says that 'the file-downloads identified below are unlawful".
DMCA takedowns mention 'clause 512(c)', the paragraph that limits liability if takedowns are respected. This letter says nothing about that paragraph, but only mentions 1201 and 1202, a completely different part of the bill. This is a neat legal trick that GitHub apparently fell for, and is undoubtedly worded very subtly so as not to make any false statements while giving a misleading impression. Whichever lawyer thought of this definitely earned his $750 for that hour.
Re:That was fast by larry+bagina · 2011-01-30 05:33 · Score: 1

The courts didn't find iPhone hacking to be legal. There has never been a court case about iPhone hacking. The Library of Congress did declare a DMCA exemption for phone jailbreaking/rooting, but even then only to run legally acquired software.

--
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
Re:That was fast by Bigjeff5 · 2011-01-30 06:05 · Score: 1

They don't get a choice in the matter.
If they don't remove the material immediately they are in violation of the DMCA, regardless of whether or not the material in question was actually in violation of any copyright law.
The only way Github can legally re-post the material is by getting a response by the authors of the offending material that the material is, to the best of their knowledge, not in violation of any copyright laws. Then Github can re-post it and Sony has to go to court to get a ruling on the copyright question in order to have it removed again.
This is why the DMCA is fucked.

--
Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller
Re:That was fast by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 07:15 · Score: 0

Is this the same sony that ignored anti-vandalism legislation for fly-posting adverts of their music acts and nothing happened? Yet if a kid gets caught graffiting over public property they can in theory be punished.
Re:That was fast by badkarmadayaccount · 2011-01-31 02:20 · Score: 1

Sony is still under line of fire for fraud, IMHO.

--
I know tobacco is bad for you, so I smoke weed with crack.
Re:That was fast by Raenex · 2011-01-31 08:45 · Score: 1

It's not clever. The first question that popped into my mind was if the DMCA actually applied to this or not -- and I haven't verified for myself that it doesn't apply, but if not: It's typical lawyer douchebaggery and an abuse of the law, and probably subject to censure if somebody cared to take up the case.

The cat...... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:19 · Score: 1

It is out of the bag and you are never getting that fucker back in there, stop while the few people whom like the PS3 still like the system.

Why does Sony hate having customers so much anyway?

Re:The cat...... by im_thatoneguy · 2011-01-29 20:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because they don't care about customers who don't buy games? And why should they? Why should you care about unprofitable customers?
Re:The cat...... by Pi1grim · 2011-01-29 20:41 · Score: 1

Fighting your customers makes about as much sense is pissing against the wind: you end up wet and smell funny. If you can't make a living by selling games, think of another way to make money. But if you try to lure people in a trap of expencive games by selling a cheap console — don't complain when people put the device to another use.
Re:The cat...... by Jesus_666 · 2011-01-29 23:34 · Score: 2

That's what Sony gets for wanting to eat their cake and have it. IIRC they added Other OS as a way to avoid higher import tariffs (computers vs. game consoles). At the same time the didn't want people to actually use it because they were selling the PS3 at a loss and it would only generate money through game sales. Then someone turned Other OS into something useful, they took it away and now they're up in arms because people went to great lengths to re-enable it, undermining the entire platform in the process.

I think the lesson here is "don't sell your product as something it isn't supposed to be". That just makes you look evil when you try to keep people from using it for what they thought you allowed them.

--
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Re:The cat...... by CronoCloud · 2011-01-30 02:54 · Score: 1

IIRC they added Other OS as a way to avoid higher import tariffs (computers vs. game consoles)
No, that's incorrect. I don't know how that "meme" can last. It was Yabasic on the EU PS2's that was used to try to get around the tariff. The Tariff was repealed (meaning it doesn't exist) before Linux on the PS2 or PS3 was ever released.
Re:The cat...... by Jesus_666 · 2011-01-30 04:44 · Score: 1

Ah, I stand corrected.

Of course it makes the whole thing even more bewildering: They decided to include a feature that was only of interest to people who wouldn't make them any money - until the slim model, which actually turned a profit on each unit sold but didn't include the feature.

What were they thinking? That everyone who'd build a cluster of PS3s would also buy PS3 games in bulk? Were they trying to bring Blu-ray movies to the data center? Were they adding bullet points to the PS3's capability list in the hope of making the launch price look smaller?

I honestly have no idea why they thought it'd make sense to include Other OS in the first place. It wasn't enough to placate the homebrew crowd and there doesn't seem to be a busness case for it.

--
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)

what will they do where there is no DMCA? by youn · 2011-01-29 16:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

repositories in the US may work, but It'll just get some dudes to host them from a country with more loose ip laws

--
Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that :p

Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by DurendalMac · 2011-01-29 16:33 · Score: 3, Interesting

THIS. Anyone hosting DMCA-questionable content should damned well get a server offshore in a country that doesn't care about IP laws and then be sure to take every step to keep their real identity separate from it. I hear Russia is a good place...
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by MichaelSmith · 2011-01-29 16:38 · Score: 2

Egypt perhaps.

--
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by hedwards · 2011-01-29 17:19 · Score: 1

Doesn't work that way, they'd still be liable for not removing it, and if they've got a legal presence in the US, they could still be held responsible no matter where it is that they keep their servers.
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by DurendalMac · 2011-01-29 18:21 · Score: 1

Which is why I said take every step possible to keep it separate from your real identity. If they don't know who the guy is with this site, then they can only send a notice to the hosting company, but if said hosting company is in a country that doesn't give a damn about IP laws and doesn't have a legal presence in the US (and I wouldn't be surprised if there were hosting companies in Russia and other countries that specialize in this sort of thing), then what can be done?
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by angus77 · 2011-01-29 18:29 · Score: 2

There are plenty of countries out there that have strong IP laws but don't truck with the bullshit that is the DMCA.
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Grishnakh · 2011-01-29 18:41 · Score: 1

Did you miss the part about keeping their real identity separate? Obviously, it's pointless to keep your DMCA-forbidden stuff on a foreign website if you proudly proclaim "This code is copyright John Smith, 123 Anytown Ln, USA".
If you put your code on a Russian server, and say, "this code written by D3m0n|C" or something like that, then there's nothing they can do about it.
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 19:45 · Score: 0

So... blatant fraud, then. Good, good, let's show 'em how much better we are by proving to the world we're a bunch of sleazy good-for-nothings who can't be trusted either, only without the "make something people want to purchase and enjoy" part of it that convinces people to actually support the other sleazy good-for-nothings. THAT won't hurt our image in the hearts and minds of The General Public(tm) at all!
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by mysidia · 2011-01-29 20:30 · Score: 1

The problem is... most of the "offshore providers where they don't care about IP laws"; are also the offshore providers where they don't care about financial laws, malware distribution points, hackers, or anti-spam conventions.
Basically, the type of providers a responsible netizen shouldn't be supporting
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by mysidia · 2011-01-29 20:32 · Score: 1

No fraud whatsoever is required to keep one's identity secret on the internet; even from governments of another country.
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Nursie · 2011-01-29 20:32 · Score: 2

You mean like gitorious in Norway - http://gitorious.org/ps3free
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:03 · Score: 0

Since we don't have the funds to buy our own laws, yeah, we'll resort to "blatant fraud". Or did you think the DMCA got passed because "The General Public(tm)" was pushing it?
And it's not fraud, of course, since there's no representation of a false fact (assuming one posts anonymously or using a nickname, not using someone else's name). Moreover, there's probably neither personal gain nor real harm to those "deceived".
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:06 · Score: 0

Russia (and a lot of other countries that are infamous for violating IP laws) has its own IP task force, which is, at times, quite effective pulling contents down. The "requirement" is usually good connections with the authorities.
There's only one way if you want to be able to safely upload stuff fer real. Convince your fellow voters this has merits. It is a lot of hard work, though.
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by Jesus_666 · 2011-01-29 23:37 · Score: 1

There's only one way if you want to be able to safely upload stuff fer real. Outspend the entertainment lobby. It is a lot of hard work, though.
FTFY

--
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by cronius · 2011-01-29 23:40 · Score: 1

THIS. Anyone hosting DMCA-questionable content should damned well get a server offshore in a country that doesn't care about IP laws and then be sure to take every step to keep their real identity separate from it. I hear Russia is a good place...
No need to go that far east, just try out this Norwegian competitor to GitHub instead: http://gitorious.org/ . It might not be completely "outlaw" but without the DMCA the laws are at least a lot saner.
In fact, as others have mentioned further down, a mirror of some of the repos on gitorious is already available @ http://gitorious.org/ps3free.

--
Life is Reality
Re:what will they do where there is no DMCA? by ToasterMonkey · 2011-01-30 06:32 · Score: 1

repositories in the US may work, but It'll just get some dudes to host them from a country with more loose ip laws
Lobby, duh.

Online assets? There are better ways than that. by laughingcoyote · 2011-01-29 16:20 · Score: 4, Informative

Screw their "online assets." The link to the contact list of offices for the law firm responsible is right here. Sony's corporate contact numbers are here. I suggest that each of their offices should receive a good few calls Monday, letting them know what we think about free speech and about restraining it.

It takes a lot fewer calls to pull off a denial of service than it takes packets.

--
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.

Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by laughingcoyote · 2011-01-29 18:11 · Score: 2

Uh...if I posted my bank and credit card information on a public facing website, and someone else linked to it, I guess I'd have no one but myself to complain at. That's why I've never put my bank or credit card information on a public facing website.
You'll note that here, in contrast, all I did here was give links to information they did freely choose to make available to the public. Seeing the difference here?

--
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:23 · Score: 0

You're saying sony is restraining peoples free speech in a topic about sony sending dmca's for pages about circumventing their device. Information that they didn't put on the net themselves. Maybe you're just off topic then.
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by Runaway1956 · 2011-01-29 19:25 · Score: 1

In this case, AC should be OA. He is not an Anonymous Coward, but an Obtuse Asshole.

--
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by laughingcoyote · 2011-01-29 20:23 · Score: 1

Ah, I misunderstood you then. You're talking about the original posting of the means whereby I can access my property. See, when you sell me something, it is mine. I have every right to take it apart, modify it, tinker with it, or do whatever the hell else I want with it. If you're the manufacturer of said device, you aren't required to make that easy, but you shouldn't be able to prohibit me if I do figure out how, nor should you be able to prohibit me sharing that knowledge.

--
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by Greyfox · 2011-01-30 03:37 · Score: 1

While you're at it let them know what you think about their assumption that the hardware they sell you doesn't actually belong to you. I do that by not buying their shit.

--
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 11:18 · Score: 0

go on,
act like a total ignorant vandal.
I love it when you slashdot hippies suggest silly stunts like this.
It just ensures that everyone in the real world outside your basements sees you for what you are. Dumb fucking hippies who think piracy is your god given right.
Fucking retards!
go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! make that call!!!!!!!!11111111111111111111oneone
Re:Online assets? There are better ways than that. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 15:37 · Score: 0

Like it or not, piracy is my gods given right. I may, by historical accident, be living in a society that was forced to accept limitations to that right imposed for the benefit of the rights holders, but the fact of the matter is the right to piracy was a universal right until just a few decades ago.
Also, if me be givin this right away, me better be gettin something in return. Which, at the moment, isn't happening very much.
So, shove your trolling up yours ;)

This is why I never bought any console by kawabago · 2011-01-29 16:27 · Score: 1

I don't want to own any device that some external entity controls. What if cars stopped running if they didn't like the roads you wanted to take? I know, it's possible now but no has had the balls to try to use it.

Re:This is why I never bought any console by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:16 · Score: 1

my car does that already, it is a part of the anti-theft equipment, and the wife already got herself locked twice.
Re:This is why I never bought any console by tepples · 2011-01-30 03:16 · Score: 1

How do you fault the general public for buying a console when they're so much more convenient to set up than a home theater PC?

git clone time by d3matt · 2011-01-29 16:29 · Score: 1

time for anyone with clones of the repo to start posting to dropsites...

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I am d3matt

Re:git clone time by Plombo · 2011-01-29 16:56 · Score: 4, Informative

It's already been done for the original repositories; they've been uploaded to Gitorious, which is hosted outside of the US. A remaining problem, though, is that all forks of the repositories were also taken down. Those weren't uploaded to Gitorious, and there were too many of them to count.
Re:git clone time by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 03:52 · Score: 0

But there still should be a copy somewhere.
I'm sure it's a matter of time until the different part regroup.

Corporate Censorship, Thy name is DMCA by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:30 · Score: 0

Way to go SONY. Seriously, how long do you think it will take before companies realise that such means of control are little more than speed-bumps on the road of technological progress.

On a side note, after seeing the Tunisian Uprising and The Egypt Situation, I wonder how long it will be before a consumer revolution finally gets sparked against the tyrannical corporate overlords. Agreed, more fundamental issues (things like freedom and human rights) were the trigger for what happened in Tunisia and Egypt . Some day however, when those issues are taken care of(the eternal optimist here), the most pressing question facing average joe may be why he has to essentially behave like a milch cow to the media conglomerates. Come that day..... REVOLUTION!

Re:Corporate Censorship, Thy name is DMCA by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:43 · Score: 2, Interesting

Agreed, more fundamental issues (things like freedom and human rights) were the trigger for what happened in Tunisia and Egypt.
Now that i think of it, while freedom and human rights and all that jazz were central to the unrest in the arab world, the thing that got the Middle-class Muhammeds off his behind and into the streets was the economic situation. Runaway inflation and the price rise probably acted as the one issue hot enough to move the usually reluctant masses to action.
Goes to show that you can get away with pretty much anything, as long as you can keep people busy working hard just to make ends met. You let the situation get out of hand enough so that now matter how hard he/she works, the ends just aint(sic) going to be met, that's when people give up on the rat race, and suddenly have time to think about protests, placards and maybe even the guillotine.
Reminds me of a humorous headline i read last week :- For the first time in history, the prices of necessity, comfort, and luxury are all the same.(Onions - Rs 65/Kg, Petrol - Rs 65/Liter, Beer Rs. 65/Glass).
RkR
Re:Corporate Censorship, Thy name is DMCA by rajeevrk · 2011-01-29 16:48 · Score: 0

Posted Parent and GP as ac, without noticing.. aaarrgggghhhh.....

Consumers send boycott notice to Sony by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 16:31 · Score: 0

It would be so easy to set up a site to organize a global, world wide boycott about arrogant companies to send loud and clear message...

Re:Consumers send boycott notice to Sony by MrEricSir · 2011-01-29 16:51 · Score: 1

Considering the quality of Sony's products these days, I don't see how a boycott is necessary. They simply won't be in business 10 years from now with their current management.

--
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
Re:Consumers send boycott notice to Sony by westlake · 2011-01-29 17:39 · Score: 1

It would be so easy to set up a site to organize a global, world wide boycott about arrogant companies to send loud and clear message...
Like the EFF's "Windows 7 Sins?" Fat lot of good that did.
The only message these "boycotts" ever send is that the geek has a piss-poor bond with the masses.
Re:Consumers send boycott notice to Sony by Grishnakh · 2011-01-29 18:48 · Score: 1

What are you talking about? I haven't heard anything about Sony products being any worse than anyone else's. Another poster noted that tens of millions of PS3s have been sold. And as for other electronic devices, they're all about the same quality level these days it seems like. It doesn't even seem like Sony's electronics are really overpriced much anymore, compared to the competition.

Looks like Github complied by thehodapp · 2011-01-29 16:37 · Score: 1

I guess they decided it wasn't worth a lawsuit. All the offending links go to 404. Is that really a violation of the DCMA? I'm looking at the Wikipedia page for the DCMA but no mention (that I see) of how jailbreaking would be illegal.

Re:Looks like Github complied by thehodapp · 2011-01-29 16:48 · Score: 1

Offending Clause for anyone wanting to see it. Again, I don't see anything explicitly forbidding jailbreaking...hasn't this already happened with the iPhone anyway?
Any way you slice it, Sony is being a bunch of wussies who are only hurting themselves by this (I mean the development of alternative software can only help sales of the PS3, right?)
Re:Looks like Github complied by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:02 · Score: 0

""(I mean the development of alternative software can only help sales of the PS3, right?)""
wrong!
Sony makes loses on the sale of PS3 hardware
they make money on the accessories and games.
now with custom firmware users using pirate and fake games, mean Sony can no longer recoup the hardware loses on sales of games.
If people buy PS3 solely from custom firmware being available
, I fail to believe any of those buyers will buy any legitimate games period.
Re:Looks like Github complied by Plombo · 2011-01-29 17:18 · Score: 1

It's likely that they see themselves as losing money from homebrew as well, since an important part of their revenue from the PS3 is extracting licensing fees for every piece of software published on the platform.
Re:Looks like Github complied by hedwards · 2011-01-29 17:22 · Score: 2

It's not. Sony or their attorneys perjured themselves. Either that or their wilfully ignorant. I'm a bit fuzzy where the line is. In order to file the take down notice they have to certify that there is no legal use for the software. It's pretty clear that there are legal uses for the software so they're likely guilty of perjury and if the developers opt to round up funds and sue they'd likely win.
Sony like a lot of corporations files these sorts of notices without any real consideration for the legality and unfortunately because the corporation would be held responsible there's little to no accountability.
Re:Looks like Github complied by hedwards · 2011-01-29 17:23 · Score: 1

wrong!
Sony makes loses on the sale of PS3 hardware
That's no longer true, starting with the PS3 Slim they make at least some money on each console they sell. It was prior to them yanking out most of the electronics that that was the case.
Re:Looks like Github complied by adolf · 2011-01-29 20:54 · Score: 1

And who cares if they do or don't lose money on the thing?
SCEA has no constitutionally-protected right to profit.
If they want to sell widgets at a loss, that's their problem: I'm not indebted to them when I buy such a widget.

--
Kid-proof tablet..

Dirty Tricks by index0 · 2011-01-29 16:46 · Score: 4, Interesting

If you google "sony geohot $1" http://www.google.ca/search?q=sony+geohot+%241 you will get some info along the lines that Sony tried to paypal George Hotz $1 dollar ("Attached hereto as Exhibit DD is true and correct copy of a redacted PayPal receipt from George Hotz, using an account registered to..." from http://psx-scene.com/forums/attachments/f6/23998d1294899764-scea-vs-geohot-day-2-more-files-day-3-now-over-more-files-added-04-pdf ). You can imagine why Sony did this ...

DMCA? FOAD. by Sarusa · 2011-01-29 17:14 · Score: 3, Insightful

Hay Sony. I think I'm gonna circumvent you now. Seriously regretting buying that PS3.

Re:DMCA? FOAD. by angus77 · 2011-01-29 18:38 · Score: 1

I'll one up you. I'll circumvent buying a PS3. Take THAT Sony!
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by syousef · 2011-01-29 18:42 · Score: 0

Hay Sony. I think I'm gonna circumvent you now. Seriously regretting buying that PS3.
I bought a Sony 55" TV last year. They had the better product. I was ambivalent about the purchase and now even more so. Trouble is it seems all companies are going down this retarded path of treating their customers as the enemy. I'm not prepared to live like a hermit just yet.

--
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by rrohbeck · 2011-01-29 22:33 · Score: 1

What took you so long? I've avoided them for several years now. They have some nice TVs, but no thanks.

--
thegodmovie.com - watch it
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by CodeBuster · 2011-01-30 06:15 · Score: 1

Seriously regretting buying that PS3.
Perhaps you would feel better if you sold your PS3 and donated the money to GitHub's legal defense fund or the Electronic Frontier Foundation?
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by JAlexoi · 2011-01-30 07:44 · Score: 1

Rehost it on EU servers and show a big FU to Sony on the homepage.
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 08:00 · Score: 0

I stopped purchasing anything Sony after they put a rootkit on some of their audio CD's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal]. Glad to see Sony living up to their reputation.
Re:DMCA? FOAD. by syousef · 2011-01-30 15:33 · Score: 1

How is that a troll? Moderation here is absolute garbage.

--
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer

Going to need a bigger net. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:17 · Score: 0

They have to realize the exploits in question will be (or already are) posted on another site. Sony might as well try to DMCA the Internet.

How the mighty have fallen... by Just+Brew+It! · 2011-01-29 17:19 · Score: 5, Insightful

Back in the day, Sony was a pretty cool company. They made affordable audio equipment with decent performance for the price; through high school and college, my turntable (vinyl LPs... remember them?) was a Sony. I also remember my first Sony Walkman cassette portable (early 1980s) and CD DiscMan with great fondness; Sony pretty much single-handedly invented the portable audio industry. My first camcorder was a Sony too, and I enjoyed the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 immensely.

Somewhere along the line, they lost their way. Maybe it had something to do with their transformation into a combination of consumer electronics giant and content provider; I'm not sure. But the CD rootkit fiasco was an indication of where they were heading. My opinion of them also took a nosedive when my second Sony camcorder (purchased around 6 years ago) turned out to be a piece of crap.

These days, they are solidly on my "avoid" list. I used to consider a Sony nameplate to be a badge of quality; now it is more of a warning label.

Re:How the mighty have fallen... by fenix849 · 2011-01-29 18:19 · Score: 1

Sony definitely has its flaws, both moral and practical.
But because if its corporate and cultural diversity it can't easily be considered a whole, the parts are just too distinct.
Their TV's for example are very good solid products, the panels are as good as any i've laid eyes on.
A company of many faces. (I do admit most of those faces are controlled by the fat cat content side of things.)
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by flyingfsck · 2011-01-29 19:57 · Score: 1

Yup, I have only had bad experiences with Sony equipment (TV, DVD player, MP3 player), so now I avoid their devices like the plague.

--
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:29 · Score: 0

I agree - after the rootkit fiasco, a (gift) blu ray player that takes up to a minute to power on and load the disc until it's finished (and won't let me skip ads or power on when the TV is off), I now consider LG to be the new Sony.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Blue_Wombat · 2011-01-29 21:40 · Score: 4, Insightful

Absolutely. I used to own a lot of their gear - including a walkman, a beta VCR (that dates me!) and a very expensive trinitron screen. I was quite a Sony fanboi in my day. Now I loathe and detest them - CD rootkit, mania for proprietary connectors, lying about Minidisc "playing" MP3s, what they did to LikSang, the rootkit, DRM mania, retroactive removal of freatures people had paid for (OtherOS), being behind the RIAA, being behind the MPAA...... the list goes on and on. They actively hate and screw over their own customers, their product is overpriced, and their legendary quality is a didtant memory. Now just I regard Sony as the vermin of the consumer electronics industry, with products that are defective by design, and I avoid them like the plague. I successfully warn numerous other people off their overpriced DRMed rubbish as well. NB: to /. mods - can we have the old interface back please? The new one is *horrible*
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:49 · Score: 0

wow, Very familiar story. I avoid Sony like the plague for basically the same reason for anything electronic. It's literally a sticker to me that says "proprietary junk that will mess with your existing equipment so avoid as much as possible" AKA "abandon all hope ye who enter here". I'm not alone by any measure. I'm amazed that Sony has implemented this kind of almost brand-death in so many consumers minds. They are literally handing markets to their competitors by their own actions.
And that's from someone who owns some Apple gear which is also proprietary but mostly not junk.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by eclectro · 2011-01-29 22:45 · Score: 1

Their TV's for example are very good solid products, the panels are as good as any i've laid eyes on.
Until it breaks, and then once again you realize that you really did make a mistake buying their brand because of their hard to get overly expensive parts. And this goes for *everything* they make.

--
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by davecb · 2011-01-30 02:03 · Score: 1

They started to degrade when Mr Sony stopped being active in the management of the company, and started shipping explicitly poor-quality products when he died. His heirs should sue to get their good name back (;-)) --dave

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davecb@spamcop.net
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by CronoCloud · 2011-01-30 02:59 · Score: 1

Sony's best blu-tay player is the PS3.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by gamer4Life · 2011-01-30 06:17 · Score: 1

Sony definitely lost their way ever since they went into the content business. Eventually the content executives took over and started calling the shots. No longer was technology the main driver of the business. Now technology only exists as a way to deliver their content. This is why Howard Stringer is the CEO. He's a media guy who worked in the media business for over 30 years before he worked at Sony. This is why Sony failed to capture the MP3 player market, or the cellphone market. They were more capable than Apple in creating an iPod or an iPhone, but their content division crippled them.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 06:24 · Score: 0

They lost their way on the Digital Cassette and the limiting imposed on CD copying.
That's when I quit, the first imposed limiting of usefulness.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 07:36 · Score: 0

That would be Akio Morita, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, National Order of the Legion of Honour, Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st class (1921-1999). The timeline fits!
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by gmhowell · 2011-01-30 13:07 · Score: 1

Bull. One diverse company just means you can boycott them in many different ways.

--
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by putaro · 2011-01-30 14:54 · Score: 1

It started long before the rootkit nonsense. Once Sony bought a record company it was all downhill from there. I had a conversation with a Sony engineer in the early 90's in Japan over a couple of beers. He had worked on MiniDisc and I ragged on him about their crappy lossy compression. He said it was because the content guys (i.e. Sony Records) made a fuss. Once they brought content into the company they went nuts.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by jonaskoelker · 2011-01-30 20:13 · Score: 1

and their legendary quality is a didtant memory.
This post are spel-cheecked by Sony.
Re:How the mighty have fallen... by Java+Pimp · 2011-01-31 03:45 · Score: 1

NB: to /. mods - can we have the old interface back please? The new one is *horrible*
Damn, I wish I would have found this sooner before I spent most of my mod points. I don't think I have enough left to bring back the old interface. :-(

--
Ascalante: Your bride is over 3,000 years old.
Kull: She told me she was 19!

Screw Sony by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:20 · Score: 0

Other than a brief flirtation with Star Wars Galaxies published by Sony Online Entertainment, I haven't bought a Sony product since the PS2. My reasons up until then PS3 were about Sony's insistence on proprietary hardware.

So, I don't own a PS3, and I don't watch Blu-Ray. Truth be told, I haven't really noticed the lack of Sony in my life. I get HD movies from other sources, my PC is a far superior gaming platform, and having reasons to hate them actually makes me feel happy deep down inside.

So fuck them. Hard.

Re:To laughingcoyote by laughingcoyote · 2011-01-29 17:27 · Score: 4, Interesting

I'm not giving out any Sooper Seekrit information, just stuff that's on a public website. If it's illegal to "incite" people to protest things by speaking to the parties responsible, then it's even worse than I thought.

--
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.

It won't change a damn thing. by westlake · 2011-01-29 17:31 · Score: 0, Troll

I suggest that each of their offices should receive a good few calls Monday, letting them know what we think about free speech and about restraining it.

With the emphasis on few.

Some stats from the Wikipedia for the PS3:

41 million units sold
69 million PSN accounts
17 million PlayStation Home accounts

The geek can rage on as long as he likes. But these are the numbers which matter to Sony.

Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 17:40 · Score: 0

Yeah, 'cause no geek ever owned a console.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Mathinker · 2011-01-29 19:39 · Score: 2
> But these are the numbers which matter to Sony.
No, I think the numbers which really mattered to Sony (not that they are going to figure this out) are:
- 4 years = amount of time before geek rage focussed on cracking the DRM of the PS3
- 10 months = amount of time PS3 DRM withstood geek rage
OTOH, I rather doubt Sony will initially sell their next generation consoles with "OtherOS", while at the same time the high-performance computing community is more and more focused on GPGPU acceleration. So maybe they don't care that they're just giving themselves bad PR with the geek crowd while not really preventing anyone from obtaining tools to develop / run homebrew / run pirated games.
After all, the rootkit incident didn't cause a general focus on cracking the PS3. So perhaps this won't cause their next console to become a target from the very start --- or maybe yes, because it won't have OtherOS. Only time will tell.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 19:53 · Score: 0

Yeah, 'cause no geek ever owned a console.
Yeah, 'cause every geek does nothing with a console other than make homebrew games.
Or play homebrew games.
Or even care about homebrew games (yes, cute, you made yet another SNES emulator, thank you, please drive through).
Frankly, you're a delusional fool if you honestly think there's any weight at all to the number of geeks who will actually do anything useful with this compared to the number of people, geeks included, who don't care and just want to play a goddamned video game after a day of work.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by ChunderDownunder · 2011-01-29 20:19 · Score: 1

i think it's pretty clear from this saga that there is no ps4 for release any time soon. Otherwise, sony wouldn't be interested in a few crackers targetting a soon to be obsolete platform.
Either that or they're keeping the crackers busy while they experiment with unbreakable designs for the new console.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Khyber · 2011-01-29 21:03 · Score: 1

Man can make it, man can break it.
Thinking otherwise is the dumbest thing ever.
That's just like saying something's fool-proof. There's always a better fool.

--
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:19 · Score: 0

I'm growing tired of your use of "the geek" as though you are speaking of a lower class of being. Every single time you do it, I have the urge to mod you Troll.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by westlake · 2011-01-30 03:30 · Score: 1

I'm growing tired of your use of "the geek" as though you are speaking of a lower class of being.
I wouldn't say that the geek is a lower class of being.
But there are times when the numbers are against him.
Re:It won't change a damn thing. by Mathinker · 2011-02-01 11:53 · Score: 1

Man can make it, man can break it.
Thinking otherwise is the dumbest thing ever.
That's just like saying something's fool-proof. There's always a better fool.
You are certainly qualitatively correct, however, in security, what is important is whether the security is quantitatively worthwhile. If breaking Sony's next DRM scheme would actually require $10M worth of equipment or computer time (something I rather doubt will be true), it would be infeasible for the hobbyist attackers to break it.

Talk about a double standard by surfdaddy · 2011-01-29 17:34 · Score: 4, Insightful

Sony entertainment had no problems a few years ago fubaring up my XP system by installing a rootkit after I inserted one of their music CD's. Seems they can care less about us, but don't reveal their precious encryption keys.

Between all that and their proprietary memory in digital cameras, I avoid ALL thinks Sony. They aren't worth the time. So sad a former leader of technology has descended so low.

Re:Talk about a double standard by surfdaddy · 2011-01-29 18:42 · Score: 1

...? Because these things are the same? Are you high?
It's Saturday night! What do you think?!!!
Re:Talk about a double standard by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:18 · Score: 1

Between all that and their proprietary memory in digital cameras
Not being funny, but Sony's proprietary memory specs are quite nice. For example, 3 years BEFORE SDHC, Sony's Memory Stick Pro was released with a theoretical 2TB limit built into it. In contrast SDHC has a limit of 32GB, Sony definitely has the more technologically advanced option. SDXC from 2 years ago brings a 2TB limit, but again, that requires hardware changes.
Bash Sony where they deserve it, but their Flash memory tech is definitely far superior than the likes of SD and friends.
Re:Talk about a double standard by jimboindeutchland · 2011-01-29 23:20 · Score: 1

not trying to troll or anything. This is a serious attempt at being informative.

fubar = fucked up beyond all recognition (or something similar)
So the phrase "fubaring up my XP system by..." would be understood as "fucking up beyond all recognition up my XP system by..." which isn't quite correct. Please drop the extra "up".

Good luck with your future fubaring's.

--
this post is now diamonds!
Re:Talk about a double standard by tepples · 2011-01-30 02:31 · Score: 1

Between all that and their proprietary memory in digital cameras, I avoid ALL thinks Sony.
The proprietary memory used in Sony cameras is the same one used in the PSP. Do you also avoid Nintendo and Microsoft video game consoles, which likewise use proprietary memory?
Re:Talk about a double standard by crwl · 2011-01-30 03:50 · Score: 1

There's absolutely no technical reason preventing SDHC cards from having capacity larger than 32 GB. The standard is just capped there for some reason.
Re:Talk about a double standard by owenjstock · 2011-01-30 04:38 · Score: 1

You might want to check your facts. The DS and Wii use SDHC cards.
Re:Talk about a double standard by tepples · 2011-01-30 05:12 · Score: 1

The DS and Wii use SDHC cards.
The DSi uses SDHC cards. The DS Lite still uses only DS Game Cards, and Nintendo has been successfully suing manufacturers that make and retailers that sell adapters to use microSD in the Game Card slot. So does the Xbox 360. And the Wii won't allow saved games from GameCube games or from any Wii game with online play to be copied to SDHC cards.
Re:Talk about a double standard by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 05:26 · Score: 0

also the Xbox 360 can use plain old USB thumb drives now.
for the xbox and the wii that doesn't mean you can do anything with the data...
it does mean that you can use cheap storage if you're willing to gamble on losing data. I had some trouble with game save data on a kingston 2GB USB thumb drive with the xbox... now I only use it to store my profile and anything that isn't often written to.
Re:Talk about a double standard by lz2pt · 2011-01-30 06:21 · Score: 1

..Between all that and their proprietary memory in digital cameras...
My Sony Alpha 330 DSLR takes standard SD cards as well as memory-doobries, but as for the battery..growl, snarl, spit blood &etc.
Re:Talk about a double standard by putaro · 2011-01-30 14:56 · Score: 1

Which Memory Stick is that again? I lost track because every damn generation of their products had a new and different Memory Stick.

not cell phones ones as the law says you have the by Joe+The+Dragon · 2011-01-29 18:00 · Score: 1

not cell phones ones as the law says you have the right to hack them.

start mirroring. by lkcl · 2011-01-29 18:01 · Score: 4, Informative

all but GaiaManager can be found here:
http://gitorious.org/ps3free

there's also a story:
http://www.ps3-hacks.com/2011/01/29/dmcaed-ps3-git-repositories-cloned/

but the site is a bit... busy right now.

Re:start mirroring. by Patch86 · 2011-01-29 21:47 · Score: 1

Probably best to torrent it. Taking down P2P files is always more of a hassle than cease-and-desisting hosting companies.
Re:start mirroring. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:43 · Score: 0

You know, there's this really neat thing you can do involving hosting Git repositories on Freenet...
Re:start mirroring. by Ash-Fox · 2011-01-30 01:39 · Score: 1

You know, there's this really neat thing you can do involving hosting Git repositories on Freenet...
And how do you do that? I don't see any Git compatability on freenet and I'm an oldie of Freenet on top of that...

--
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Re:start mirroring. by JAlexoi · 2011-01-30 07:47 · Score: 1

So... What will they say to EU hosting companies? DMCA is not a global thing, even though some US judges may believe they have global jurisdiction.
Re:start mirroring. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 08:12 · Score: 0

Way to go!
Just make sure those files stay online and the information is spread as far as possible (stone carvings on huge granite blocks anyone?) so Sony can't touch it.
If Sony always asked nicely, never messed with rootkits and similar to ENFORCE their RIGHTS, it might have been a different story. But they had to play hardball and so we have to play hardball too. We bought the console so we should be able to do with it as we please. They insist on control so we have to break their control, and the best way is to send the message: "We will crack your console - again and again if necessary. We will make it easy to pirate games. We were treated as criminals and so we behave like criminals. You forced our hands and you got what you wanted. Enjoy!"
Re:start mirroring. by Patch86 · 2011-01-31 11:19 · Score: 1

Most countries have some equivalent to a cease and desist letter; basically a threat to legal action in a civil court.
Most hosting companies would probably chicken out when they receive a C&D on Sony headed paper, legally watertight or not.

Re:Hackers suck by Aeternitas827 · 2011-01-29 18:03 · Score: 1

I hope all these hackers get butt raped. All they do is cause problems for everyone else on the platform. Awesome. You hacked it. Now we got cheaters. Good going.

The problems they 'cause' are mostly from knee-jerk reactions from the people manning the platform--in this case, Sony--clamoring to come up with a solution that inconveniences the sum-total of the end-users who likely aren't going to be taking the action Sony are attempting to prevent. And cheating? It's been happening for as long as there have been games, more so when you get online. Some of it's glitch exploitation, some of it is botting, some of it is hacking the game and altering its behaviour for a competitive advantage, and no matter what is done, it's going to happen. I resigned myself to this long ago, and as a result rarely playing games online (and usually then with people I know only).

And homebrew? Please, if they wanted to develop something they'd go through proper channels. Just a lame excuse to put emulators or some other stupid thing on yet another platform.

Perhaps they just want to make a nice little toy for themselves and, perhaps, a small group of others who might find enjoyment, without any intention of wide-scale distribution. If you've got an idea that you yourself don't think will be widely popular, you might not want to jump through the hoops and hurdles, pay any fees related to getting signed on as a developer, and so on (which might end up meaning a net loss). There are, believe it or not, valid reasons for homebrew software.

--
I don't post AC. I like my -1, Flamebaits. Trump/Sheen 2012 on the Batshit Insane ticket!

Dear Sony by swordgeek · 2011-01-29 18:07 · Score: 2

For the first time in 2011, let me offer you a hearty "Fuck You."

Gotta get that in every year, it seems--this year it either came early, or will come often.

--

"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban

Re:Dear Sony by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 01:51 · Score: 0

"Gotta get that in every year, it seems--this year it either came early, or will come often."
You make it sound like just because it came early, it won't come often.
And this comment looks dirty when you don't know what it's about.
Re:Dear Sony by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 08:56 · Score: 0

Do not limit yourself to the well-deserved "fuck you". Act on it. Never buy anything by Sony and convince the people you know not to buy from them. They have proved on numerous occasions that they are a company hating its customers and is ready to fuck them up, take your part in ensuring less people are fucked up.

Words Every Website Should Have by MarkvW · 2011-01-29 18:08 · Score: 1

Piracy . . . Hack . . . PS3 . . . Jailbreak . . . etc.

Every website should have these words. That's free speech, isn't it?

Just stop. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:22 · Score: 0

STOP buying.
It means absolutely nothing to disagree with Sony's policies but keep buying their wares and feeding their families...

Re:Just stop. by Narishma · 2011-01-30 02:43 · Score: 1

And it means absolutely nothing to stop buying Sony hardware when dozens of millions of people still continue doing it.

--
Mada mada dane.
Re:Just stop. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 02:46 · Score: 0

Oh, quite the opposite. I would buy anything Sony BUT what screws you over. Let the corporate in-fighting begin!
If you ever worked for a large corporation with many different subsidiaries, you'll notice that nobody cares if all go down at the same time. It's just market, and if every branch loses equally, none of the higher ups will make a stink.
Watch one branch (PS3, Sony Music/Movie...) take a dive while the rest of the company stays strong, and you'll see them get a lot of flak for not pulling their weight. Everyone else is doing good but the PS3 division is caving in? You dropped the ball somewhere, get your act together!

So I've been by Janvitos · 2011-01-29 18:23 · Score: 1

Simply avoiding Sony products after the 1st Walk-Man.

Re:Hackers suck by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:40 · Score: 0

Glitches and intentional lagging were bad enough but this took it to a completely different level. On the PS3 people weren't getting killed by aimbots or infinite, rapid-fire, homing missiles or something like that.

Please, nobody makes small apps for consoles that bring enjoyment to a small group of friends. That's a dream. It's all about apps that allow you to pirate.

Re:jeans outlet by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 18:54 · Score: 0

wow i'v never seen spam on slashdot

Mail in your Sony products by future+assassin · 2011-01-29 18:55 · Score: 1

We need a mass mailing where 1000's of people mail in their Sony labelled products to Sony. I got plenty of cd and dvd from Sony entertainment plus a few old PS1 laying around that I'm gonna mail in.

--
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*

Re:Mail in your Sony products by mysidia · 2011-01-29 20:41 · Score: 1

We need a mass mailing where 1000's of people mail in their Sony labelled products to Sony. I got plenty of cd and dvd from Sony entertainment plus a few old PS1 laying around that I'm gonna mail in.
This only really hurts them if you find sony "business reply envelopes" , use it to mail the big boxes of their stuff, and maximize the postage costs.
What would really hurt Sony would be some mass boycots of their games, software, online services, and other playstation-related products.
To be effective, you need a lot of people to understand the evil Sony is up to. Just people interested in homebrew, hacking the PS3, or open source are not enough.
And people need to know the measures Sony is taking are not just reasonable attempts to curtail privacy or hacking/cheating in their games.
Find an honest strategy for convincing Joe Average person to join the boycott, with minimal effort; e.g. A "tweet" or short message the average Joe will read and immediately join the boycott and spread the message, then there might be a chance of Sony listening.
If not, it's probably futile, other than expressing disagreement, for the sake of it being known that a few people expressed disagreement with Sony (which they couldn't care less about).

Re:Hackers suck by monkyyy · 2011-01-29 19:37 · Score: 0

*rolls eyes*
home brew is for when the "proper" channels go corrupt, apple is an excellent example(tho that now jail breaking is more common they are a bit better) and sony is headed that way

--
warning pointless sig

"It's a Sony!" by thegarbz · 2011-01-29 19:41 · Score: 1

"It's a Sony" used to be something we'd say proudly. Now it carries a stigma of "We produced this as cheaply as possible to make a quick buck." This can be seen in everything they do like suddenly buying the entire camera division from Konica Minolta, churning out a few of the most uncomfortable and hard to use cameras I've ever had the displeasure of holding, and expecting to be taken seriously in the photography world.

The only product of theirs I still have any respect for is the Bravia TV. They are still consistently better than the competition, but as for everything else .... It's a Sony (thumbs down)

/Personal opinion only and it won't change anytime soon.

Re:"It's a Sony!" by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:54 · Score: 0

The unintended consequences of American management...
Re:"It's a Sony!" by NotQuiteInsane · 2011-01-30 14:12 · Score: 2

Here's an interesting factoid for you: design and manufacture of most of the Sony video hardware is outsourced...
Sony VCRs: usually made by Samsung. There's a lovely design cockup in the FX-series -- a capacitor was installed the wrong way round, which screwed with the controller and ended up wiping the EEPROM. Only way out of this is a VHS alignment tape (custom to Sony/Samsung and only available to their service centres) and a full reset. Oh, and a new capacitor.
Sony DVD players: Samsung or Philips. Usually bottom-of-the-barrel crap.
Sony DVD recorders: Almost always Philips. Utterly crap, slowest processors and worst laser pickups imaginable. Hit STOP then PLAY and you'll be waiting a good minute for the thing to get its act together.
I like my Bravia and my MZ-RH1 Minidisc recorder (great for recording lectures) but the rest of my Sony kit (not much)? Crap.
I love how they use proprietary connectors for the camera USB ports, and change them with every new model series. They do the same with the batteries too... absolute evil. Point of comparison -- the Canon NB2LH battery from the 400D? Used in almost all their SD-card camcorders. Costs about £30, runs the thing for 90 minutes or so. Sony equivalent? £69, and there are four variants depending on which camera you have. Upgrade your camera, and you get to replace all your spare batteries. The chargers are (usually) cross-compatible, but that's about it. Lose a Sony charger, expect to pay a good £50-£60 for a replacement. Lose a Canon one and you can probably replace it for £20-£30, or less on Ebay.
As far as I'm concerned, Sony can FOaGDIAF. Canon are getting first-dibs if I need any new imaging gear -- my Pixma iP4600 is the first inkjet I've had which didn't suffer a fatal head clog just by leaving it idle for a few months, and my 7D has taken the worst the British weather can dish out and kept on going. I've seen customers bring Canon 10Ds back into the shop, wanting to try out a new lens. The cameras usually look like hell, but work perfectly. That kind of reliability gets you lots of brownie points.
Re:"It's a Sony!" by thegarbz · 2011-01-30 20:03 · Score: 1

Sony DVD recorders: Almost always Philips. Utterly crap, slowest processors and worst laser pickups imaginable. Hit STOP then PLAY and you'll be waiting a good minute for the thing to get its act together.
This surprises me. Sony manufacture pickups and having personally used them I can say they are amongst the nicest that I've seen. Fantastically easy to interface and produce a very nice clean datastream.

I concur with the camera gear. I know someone who's been through two Alpha 200 cameras without doing anything extreme with them. My D200 has worked (briefly) at -55degC and made a fully recovery once warmed up, gets used in dusty and corrosive environments and has fallen out of the car more times than I'd like to admit. Sony really don't make them like they used to. My MD player took similar abuse.
Re:"It's a Sony!" by NotQuiteInsane · 2011-01-31 00:59 · Score: 2

Sony DVD recorders: Almost always Philips. Utterly crap, slowest processors and worst laser pickups imaginable. Hit STOP then PLAY and you'll be waiting a good minute for the thing to get its act together.
This surprises me. Sony manufacture pickups and having personally used them I can say they are amongst the nicest that I've seen. Fantastically easy to interface and produce a very nice clean datastream.
They do make nice laser pickups (and I think the Philips players use them almost universally), but the CPU, MPEG decoder and error-corrector circuitry (all designed by Philips) is astonishingly bad. If the disc isn't perfectly clean, scratch free and absolutely perfectly mastered, the ECC engine falls over and the picture starts to break up. The CPUs are generally WAY underpowered for what they're doing. I used to hit Record on my Aiwa VCR and it'd start recording within a second or two. The Sony DVD recorder hooked up to the TV downstairs takes almost a minute to start recording. The MythTV box is almost instant. Guess which one gets used more often... the DVD recorder is used more-or-less like an expensive DVD player (the Myth box falls over on some DVDs).

I concur with the camera gear. I know someone who's been through two Alpha 200 cameras without doing anything extreme with them. My D200 has worked (briefly) at -55degC and made a fully recovery once warmed up, gets used in dusty and corrosive environments and has fallen out of the car more times than I'd like to admit. Sony really don't make them like they used to. My MD player took similar abuse.
Oh, my MD players have been through a ton of punishment. The RH1 has been absolutely babied, but my MZ-N710 (bought as a refurbished unit several years ago ago) was dropped, banged, and got dragged to Terra Firma by its USB cable once or twice. Still works fine. The RH1 lives in a Lowepro camera pouch, and only comes out occasionally. I've been meaning to try time-syncing it with my brother's camcorder -- if only as a "can this be done?" experiment.
As I understand it, most of the BBC Regional Radio off-site interview / RNG teams still use Sony MD recorders for field recording. If they're good enough for Auntie Beeb... well...

IT by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 20:20 · Score: 0

its the fairest thing for sony to do...

parrotfish29

Re:Hackers suck by Nursie · 2011-01-29 20:55 · Score: 1

If that's what you think then... GTFO of my slashdot.

There was a time when people here wouldn't have needed it explaining to them why it was good to be able to run your own code on hardware you own. Unlocking its potential, doing stuff it was never designed to do. Hacking devices, installing other operating systems, non-standard software... it used to be taken as self evident that this was a good thing.

Now we have people who are more concerned about other people cheating in online games (which can be dealt with much better at the server side anyway) than they are about the progress of freedom in computing.

It makes me sad.

Re:To laughingcoyote by Khyber · 2011-01-29 21:01 · Score: 1

"Either you account has been compromised by your worst enemy or you had one beer too many tonight."

And what kind of drugs are you on that make this publicly available information a crime to post?

Incitement? Where's the threat of violence? All I see is a "You should call them, here's the contact info."

Christ, I sit here at a [9] and know better than that.

--
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.

too late by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:01 · Score: 0

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70

Github won't put them back online. by Otis_INF · 2011-01-29 21:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

Do you really think Github can afford a lengthy trial with mammoth Sony? Not in a million years. The legal team of Sony will bury Github's with so many documents they either have to give up or will lose.

Big corporations have big law departments. The only purpose of these law departments, which cost a lot of money each year, is to make life as easy as possible for the employer, Sony in this case. This means: they'll do everything they can to make the life of the opponent as miserable as possible: lawsuits, burying with massive amounts of documents etc. Github doesn't have a chance.

--
Never underestimate the relief of true separation of Religion and State.

Re:Github won't put them back online. by salesgeek · 2011-01-30 02:51 · Score: 1

That's not really true. So long as GitHub gets a competent lawyer, they should be able to limit Sony's requests for evidence substantially. GitHub isn't accused of infringement, they are simply being notified under the DMCA. It's not surprising they acted quickly, that's what the law says to do.
Depending on how GitHub's errors and omissions insurance works, they may have more money you think to pay for a defense should Sony get stupid with them.

--
-- $G
Re:Github won't put them back online. by smallfries · 2011-01-30 03:11 · Score: 3, Informative

Actually GitHub can have every chance. What they needed to do in this case was simple enough. Contact the owner of the repository and hand over the responsibility to them. If the owner decides that Sony has acted badly and made an incorrect claim then GitHub is cleared of any legal responsibility and can put the work back online.
The procedure is explained at Chilling Effects. Although the DMCA is widely detested, one of the (only?) things that it does get right is that the legal battle is not between Sony and Github. If Github comply then they get to step to one side with any liability.

--
Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
Re:Github won't put them back online. by CodeBuster · 2011-01-30 06:07 · Score: 1

The legal team of Sony will bury Github's with so many documents they either have to give up or will lose.
Not necessarily, there are plenty of law students and other young attorneys who are technically savvy and would jump at the opportunity to cut their teeth on leading edge DMCA cases (copyright and patent law will probably be lucrative in the 21st century, unfortunately). The younger attorneys tend to have more time and ambition than either money or reputation to lose, so it makes sense for them to take on riskier cases earlier in their career, while still earning their spurs, in order to separate themselves from the rest of the pack (most attorneys want to make partner in a firm sooner rather than later after all). Surely, the Electronic Frontier Foundation could offer some advice or put them in touch with a law firm willing to defend against Sony. Besides, wasn't source code supposed to be "free speech"?

Not the land of the free by business_kid · 2011-01-29 21:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

When faced with the threat of continuing legal bills for asserting your rights, the pragmatic thing to do is comply. The Net is not the anonymous place we all thought it was. It seems America is not the land of the free unless you can afford to pay for it! Note to self: Make sure to have multiple legislatures for any controversial site I put up. E.G. service registered in country A, selling into country B and located in country C :-D.

Re:Not the land of the free by Urkki · 2011-01-30 01:59 · Score: 2

It seems America is not the land of the free unless you can afford to pay for it!
Freedom is never free. You have to pay for either with money or with blood. And like always, you have to be careful that you buy the real stuff and don't fall for some sort of scam, wasting your blood or your money and getting nothing for it.
Re:Not the land of the free by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 04:44 · Score: 1

"Make sure to have multiple legislatures for any controversial site I put up. E.G. service registered in country A, selling into country B and located in country C :-D."
So you want 3x the lawyer bills and 2x the travel costs?
Re:Not the land of the free by JAlexoi · 2011-01-30 07:38 · Score: 1

You are already paying for justice, in the form of taxes. This is not about freedom, it's bout justice that is hijacked by the highest bidder. That has been paid by you in $$$ and your predecessors in blood.
Re:Not the land of the free by vuffi_raa · 2011-01-31 04:56 · Score: 1

That would depend, something like a DMCA takedown notice for a piece of copywritten material like a movie or an mp3 has been to court and though there is still no real solid presidence regarding those (since most cases settle) those cases are generally acknowledged as compliant with the DMCA, this on the other doesn't really have any presidence at all.

The key by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 21:26 · Score: 0

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70

Re:Hackers suck by shentino · 2011-01-29 21:54 · Score: 1

Hackers are not responsible for what cheaters and pirates choose to piggy back their work for.

That sort of enforced loyalty to Sony only comes from working for them, in which case you get a slice of their payroll in exchange for being their shills.

My toy, not yours. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 22:15 · Score: 0

If I spend over $200 on a toy that I take back to my residence, I'll do with it what I damn well please. You have no right, no goddamn right, to tell me what I can and can not do with it.

I *LIKE* owning games. I also *like* making sure my game discs stay in pristine condition and if that means installing the full game to an internal hard drive, then I'm going to freaking do it. You, Sony, will never stop me from doing that because you have no moral right to do so. It's my choice to do that. You do not own "choice."

Re:My toy, not yours. by luther349 · 2011-01-29 22:21 · Score: 1

humm ps3 and 360 both have options to install to the disk.
Re:My toy, not yours. by sumday · 2011-01-30 02:59 · Score: 1

but you still have to have the disk in the drive while you play. The OP wants to use the disk once and then, presumably, keep it in a locked glass cabinet for the rest of time. If any console manufacturer allowed users to do this, piracy would kill any incentive for developers to make games on that platform.

--
sudo killall humans
Re:My toy, not yours. by CronoCloud · 2011-01-30 03:03 · Score: 1

Game discs aren't the scratch prone things they were in the PSone days so that's no excuse. There is no NEED for you to "backup" your discs and/or mod your device to play "backups". Perhaps even "backups" of games you don't own, yes?
Re:My toy, not yours. by vinehair · 2011-01-30 05:59 · Score: 1, Interesting

Game discs aren't the scratch prone things they were in the PSone days so that's no excuse. There is no NEED for you to "backup" your discs and/or mod your device to play "backups". Perhaps even "backups" of games you don't own, yes?
Hi Sony. Perhaps you missed the part where he said "...I'll do with it what I damn well please. You have no right, no goddamn right, to tell me what I can and can not do with it?" Because that's pretty much what you've just posted. Perhaps you can explain to us instead not the logic behind wanting to backup the expensive games bought, but instead the reason that gives you the authority to tell him that he shouldn't be doing that, and to stop whinging about it?
Re:My toy, not yours. by Pikoro · 2011-01-30 21:37 · Score: 1

I've never seen an option that lets you install a game to the hard disk on a PS3. Care to share where that option is? Thought not.

--
"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"

Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by DutchDopey · 2011-01-29 22:36 · Score: 1

I really despite the opening up of the PS3 platform. I see a lot of people cheering the hacks and cursing Sony for trying to minimise the damage, but I want a closed platform just like many other players of my kind want a non tampered environment. This opening up for homebrew also enables cheaters of the worse kind, in gaming there is a need for a closed platform.

Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by koolfy · 2011-01-29 23:17 · Score: 1

Nothing is more open than a x86 pc platform. (even more with linux installed).
Still, gaming works pretty well there, and cheat is decently managed. How can that be ?
Maybe locking every bit of a platform, hardware included is not the only way to deal with cheating ?
Just saying.

--
Segmentation Fault in "Life, Universe and Everything" at line 42. Don't Panic.
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-29 23:53 · Score: 0

Do you think it is right to break your dogs legs when it refused to obey? Do you also think it is OK to punish all your other dogs because one did not obey the command to stay put? Why do you blame the bad dog, instead of the abusive master?
I see the argument you make pop up quite a lot on Dutch websites (I do not live there anymore, but I speak the language and browse around sometimes), your id suggests you may be one of those. Your argument is a fallacy however.
In gaming, there may be a need to avoid cheating. At least for some online games. Although I believe it is possible to program servers in a way not to trust client data, the reality is probably different. Control over the platform can help achieve a more fair gaming environment. This does not imply "closed", but it could be.
This control is often implemented in the form that limits the users rights on how to use his/her hardware. I do have some principle objects to such implementations, but I could, again, accept such DRM if it sticks to preventing users to cheat online (MS with the Xbox did a better job at this compared to Sony)
Unfortunately, Sony (and others) often use rights management to do other things. Things that are meant to make you, the consumer, pay more, or make them spend less. Region restrictions, forcing updates, taking away features are a few of those things. They do not benefit you, they are meant to get more money. The consumer is probably not very happy with that, but has little choice (as is intended).
I strongly believe that many of these people working on these tools not to pirate games or cheat online. I also think, Ken Kutaragi, the "Father" of the PS, recognized the need for homebrew, which led to the original possibility of running linux on the PS2 and 3. When a shift in management made him leaf, Linux was dropped. And this whole "hacking" business became much more interesting for many people.
Still, people are using said tools for piracy (ever downloaded a full PS3 game?), but yes, it could come to that. But then I can tell you the places here in China were pirated console games are made and sold in large quantities seem to be a much bigger problem...
Taking away possibilities to run homebrew, and trying to stop hacks by force seems not a smart move. Why not instead open up the platform, but require a secure signing mechanism to play online? And use the law to stop people who are selling or distributing pirated games instead of tools to boot linux or backup your own games?
You should not be blaming the people who work on these tools. They do so because they like to play with their console just as you like to play your games. Instead, direct your anger against the one that make things hard for you, even although you have not done anything wrong. If I owned a PS3, I would be furious...
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by Ash-Fox · 2011-01-30 01:35 · Score: 1

Do you think it is right to break your dogs legs when it refused to obey?
Please check yourself in the nearest mental hospital. Game consoles are not living beings nor do they have 'rights' like animals or people.

--
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by cptdondo · 2011-01-30 03:15 · Score: 1

Security through obscurity (and now legal threats) has never, ever worked in the long run.
What you really want is a totally open gaming platform, where the gamers themselves develop the methods and means of catching cheaters. And before you say, "That will never work", think it through. The gamers know the game, they know the sort of world they want to be in, and they should be able to set the rules.
Oh, and for a real-life example (in sports of all things) look up the rules for Ultimate. A game played with no ref. The players call the fouls and the game goes on.
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by xenobyte · 2011-01-30 08:19 · Score: 1

There is no closed platform if the same games are also available for the PC. Opening the PS3 only allows its users the same possibilities as their PC-using buddies.
There is no downside to opening the PS3.Sure there will be some pirated games, but the sheer size of a PS3 game will limit distribution a bit. There won't be "CDs filled with all the top games available for a few bucks on the corner". In any case the PS3 problem won't be anywhere near the size of the PC problem, and yet they still make games for the PC... Go figure.

--
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 09:00 · Score: 0

Concepts for the day: metaphor and simile.
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by Ash-Fox · 2011-01-30 13:00 · Score: 1

Nothing is more open than a x86 pc platform.
Found one, do I get a cookie?

--
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Re:Hacking is a disaster for a gamer like me. by koolfy · 2011-01-30 21:57 · Score: 1

Yes but, can it run crysis ?

--
Segmentation Fault in "Life, Universe and Everything" at line 42. Don't Panic.

The Rise and Fall of Sony by trydk · 2011-01-29 22:38 · Score: 2

Following Sony's rise and fall is rather interesting, I think.

They started off by making tape recorders and became famous by producing small, transistorised radio receivers that were affordable but rather poor quality. I remember my first one that after a few months developed the most scratchy volume control (metal wiper on a carbon path -- I took it apart in the end).

After WWII (not, I'm not that old :-) the Americans introduced the quality movement in Japan and in 1968, Kaoru Ishikawa outlined the tenets of TQC (Total Quality Control) management:

* quality comes first, not short-term profits
* the customer comes first, not the producer
* customers are the next process with no organizational barriers
* decisions are based on facts and data
* management is participatory and respectful of all employees
* management is driven by cross-functional committees covering product planning, product design, production planning, purchasing, manufacturing, sales, and distribution

Akio Morita, the founder of Sony, was a proponent of this quality movement and worked hard to make Sony products fairly affordable and good quality, which was the hallmark of their products for many years.

After Morita's brain hemorrhage in 1993, he was unable to lead the company and stepped down as chairman in 1994, at the height of the company's glory. After that time, Sony seemed to slide slowly downwards in its respect of customers with a marked disregard for the second tenet of the TQC "laws".

Sony has been -- and still is -- very innovative, but they have gone down the slope quite a bit since Akio Morita's time with regards to affordability and respect for customers.

It doesn't matter by vadim_t · 2011-01-29 23:27 · Score: 1

The awesome thing about Git is that everybody who checked out those repositories has a complete copy with all the revisions, and can exchange commits with the others.

So it should be really easy for somebody to recreate a public repository somewhere else. Anybody got a link?

Hey Sony by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 00:57 · Score: 0

Fuck You.

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70

These stories by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 01:00 · Score: 0

Should be positively flooded with this.

Hey Sony

Fuck You

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70

Did you find a clue yet Sony? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 01:02 · Score: 0

Sony is a waste of human and planetary resources and should not exist anymore.

Hey Sony

Fuck You

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70

Re:Hackers suck by icebraining · 2011-01-30 02:37 · Score: 1

I resigned myself to this long ago, and as a result rarely playing games online (and usually then with people I know only).

The solution exists: just play on a server with good admins that ban those people. Of course, that requires the game to support dedicated servers, which usually means "PC".

--
Dilbert RSS feed

It's not a double standard by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 04:24 · Score: 0

Think of it this way: Assume Sony is a bunch of ass%$#&$. Ok? Then they're going to try to screw with you because they think they can get away with it and they're going to try to screw with you if you do something they don't want you to do. See, it's perfectly consistent!

Ouch by lennier1 · 2011-01-30 04:43 · Score: 1

If they increase the level of stupidity stupidity any more they'll have to change the name from "Streisand Effect" to "Sony Effect".

Sell all your Sony stock! by brirus · 2011-01-30 04:48 · Score: 1

Ah, Slippery Sony. The corporation that was caught embedding DRM malware into all the audio CD's they produced is back, this time pretending that they can dictate every piece of software that is to be run on RISC architecture. Apple thought the same thing back in the 80's. Not the best strategy.

This is an experimental business philosophy for a hardware manufacturer: Squash any and all unauthorized development. Limit your hardware's functionality. Micro-manage the end-user (read: info-peasant) experience. Control everything. Charge for everything.

I was about to buy a PS3 because i want a console that i can tinker with and use for all sorts of things. That's the only reason i would EVER spend so much money on a console. Now I think i'll just stick with a laptop... and teach my neighbor's children how to find playstation ROM's on the internet for free.

--
Wikileaks Is Democracy

Re:Sell all your Sony stock! by CodeBuster · 2011-01-30 06:26 · Score: 1

As much as I detest Sony I would not sell my shares if I wanted to make a point. Instead I would vote for the shareholder resolutions, you know the ones limiting executive pay amongst other things that boards hate, and withhold my votes for the re-election of the board of directors. Would this prevent them from being re-elected? Maybe not, but if even 1% of shareholders specifically withhold their votes for a director when voting their proxies, it can be enough for that director to be shown the door. It has happened in the past. Take Disney for example, Eisner won re-election but the negative votes from the coalition led by Roy Disney were such a vocal minority that he was soon forced out anyway. The point is that small holders should not underestimate their power to effect changes in corporate policy. Small shareholders could, via social media for example, agree to vote their proxies as a block or group. Many small holders voting against directors or for shareholder resolutions sends a powerful message and now more than ever with boards conscious of consumer anger, political pressure and negative publicity.

Sony is the new big blue meany by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 05:29 · Score: 0

I have all kinds of Sony gear including 3 PS3s. I buy games and never steal anything. All I want is to have my favorites on the drive so I can play whatever comes to mind. For years of customer loyalty and many thousands of dollars Sony returns the kindness with insults and lawsuits.

I'll keep the Sony stuff as long as I can jailbreak it. When I can't I'll switch. I'm sure lots of others feel the same way.

Wise up Sony. The jailbreak community will do for you what they did for Apple - add enormous value and $ generating interest.

Knowledge is power by nurb432 · 2011-01-30 05:30 · Score: 1

But the power you get with money trumps everything.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----

A new use for spam by nurb432 · 2011-01-30 05:35 · Score: 0

Instead of Viagra ads, how about we just spam millions with instructions on how to hack the PS3.. That will piss off Sony and see that its pointless.

Just like when the RIAA attacked Napster expecting a cakewalk, the resulting press coverage let the genie out of the bottle.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----

Available somewhere else :/ by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 06:34 · Score: 0

Dear Sony, Welcome to the DCVS world, you bastard ! http://gitorious.org/ps3free/

MOD PARENT UP by Anonymous Coward · 2011-01-30 08:28 · Score: 0

+1 interesting. And you can mod grandparent: -1 Wrong.

The Garden by Hyperhaplo · 2011-01-30 14:12 · Score: 1

The Net is not the anonymous place we all thought it was.

Not much can stop companies from doing whatever they please - this is more about the chilling effect than anything.

Yes, the code will be replicated elsewhere - but it won't be on github. That's the point.

(repost - I can't find the original source)

The Garden
=========

We planted a garden. A wonderful rose garden. And there were people stopping to look at it and say "hey, that's neat!" and we, the good natured fools we are, thought it would be great to open our garden to the public, so they can come in and enjoy it. And hey, who knows, maybe some of them might want to plant a few roses themselves? We can only benefit from it, right?

So we let them in, even showed them how to plant roses. And while they were not really too good gardeners, we handed them a few tools to make the work easier for them. And some of them (ok, a handful of them) actually went and built something nice. Most just wandered about and smelled a few roses. We even built them a few paths they could wander on so they don't accidentally stumble upon that field we built that camo net over, ya know, with our "special spices".

A few came in and trampled all over the roses. We shrugged and grabbed them and threw them out, because we not only know how to plant roses, we also know how to use their thorns to smack those bullies about and give them a wedgie on their way out. We build this garden after all, and we know every plant and every bush here, you can't hide from us! Well, ok, I admit, some of us thought it's fun to make fools out of the idiots that have no idea how to plant roses and snuck into their gardens when they weren't looking (and too stupid to close the door so people can only look but not touch), dyed their roses pink and blue polka-dotted, mostly for fun and to ridicule them. It was good natured fun, hey, we did that to each other too and we really had a good laugh!

One cardinal mistake we made is that we built a few paths to the camo net patches, too, because, hey, they're nice folks and wanna have some of the good stuff too, what's the harm in giving them some? Well, there's not really a problem with that, but when the bullies trampled across our fields, they also trampled through the fields of those that can't defend themselves, and these guys started to call for the police. And they eventually stumbled towards our camo net patches and, well, erh... well, they decided that it's a problem, ya know? If we hadn't built paths to them, only we would have found our way to those "special places", through the hedges and the overgrown paths that need machetes to get to. Few policemen had those machetes...

Also along came the corporations who found out that people love to wander in our nice garden and started to built there too. At first, we didn't bother to worry. Like the native Americans didn't worry when the Mayflower came along, we let them settle in our garden. Until suddenly we were told that we can't go to a few places of our garden any more because that's now off limits. In our own garden! Not to mention that they were crying bloody murder if you went and polka-dotted their roses!

And now we're sitting here, in our ever shrinking corner of our once wonderful garden, trampled down by the masses, broken up into lots by corporations with a policemen at every corner making sure you don't plant where you're not supposed to, and of course that you don't try to camo net anything.

If there's any lesson to learn, than that we should not let the masses in next time we build a garden. The seeds will be more expensive, granted, but at least we can grow what we want and keep the harvest.

--
You have a sick, twisted mind. Please subscribe me to your newsletter.

Re:The Garden by badkarmadayaccount · 2011-01-31 01:12 · Score: 1

IOW the repo should be public, but accessed only by SSL over tor. Or perform syncs via SMTP/GPG through multiple throwaway email accounts.

--
I know tobacco is bad for you, so I smoke weed with crack.

Re:jeans outlet by Pikoro · 2011-01-30 21:27 · Score: 1

oblig: you must be new here.

--
"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"

Re:Hackers suck by badkarmadayaccount · 2011-01-31 02:38 · Score: 1

Don't feed the trolls.

--
I know tobacco is bad for you, so I smoke weed with crack.

Dear Sony by MemoryDragon · 2011-01-31 03:01 · Score: 1

Nice Rimjob...

Oh no by rawler · 2011-01-31 07:22 · Score: 2

If only git was a de-centralized VCS, these repositories would already have been cloned in the dozens around the world, and this take-down would be completely futile!

Oh, wait.

MISTRALGEMPLUSMK by TheMidget · 2011-01-31 07:43 · Score: 1

Ah, feels better now.

Slashdot Mirror

Sony Sends DMCA Takedown Notice To GitHub

266 comments