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Sony suing PlayStation 3 hackers
By Johan Keyter 12 January 2011 | Categories: newsLast week we reported that Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) console had finally been completely hacked, with its root key unlocked and secrets spilled out for the world's hackers to savour.
In a predictable move however, Sony has fired back the only way it knows how, with litigation. According to Kotaku, documents featured on the web sites of famed iPhone hacker George “geohot” Hotz and hacker group fail0verflow, the ones responsible for the hack, states that Sony Computer Entertainment America is seeking temporary restraining orders against all those involved.
The restraining orders seeks to limit the damage by restricting access to Hotz and fail0verflow's websites, both now devoid of life, and also restricting the hackers from accessing the PS3.
The PlayStation 3 root key which was unlocked is responsible for letting the console know whether the software it is running is legitimate or not. So with the hacked root key, hackers can run any number of custom programs with the PS3 being none the wiser.
Sony's motion claims that the defendants violated both the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, while also knowingly opened up the console to piracy. Hotz is also accused of gaining “financial benefit through his unlawful conduct” via his PayPal account.
The motion also aims to strip the hackers of their toys, seeking to impound “computers, hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs, USB sticks and other media.” See kids, hacking never pays.
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