Sony, Hotz Settle PS3 Hacker Case

Sony Computer Entertainment America and George Hotz have reached a settlement in a lawsuit that was filed in January after Hotz allegedly breached the PlayStation 3's security and published the information online. The two parties issued a joint statement this morning. Full details of the settlement are not known, however, Hotz did consent to a permanent injunction, meaning he can no longer publish any information about the PS3 hack. 

"Sony is glad to put this litigation behind us," said Riley Russell, General Counsel for SCEA. "Our motivation for bringing this litigation was to protect our intellectual property and our consumers. We believe this settlement and the permanent injunction achieve this goal." 

"It was never my intention to cause any users trouble or to make piracy easier," said Hotz, "I'm happy to have the litigation behind me." Hotz was not involved in the recent attacks on Sony's internet services and websites. 

Sony alleged Hotz released information to the public allowing anyone to install homebrew applications on the PS3, including those that would allow the console to play pirated software. Sony said Hotz violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and other copyright infringements. 

"We want our consumers to be able to enjoy our devices and products in a safe and fun environment and we want to protect the hard work of the talented engineers, artists, musicians and game designers who make PlayStation games and support the PlayStation Network," added Russell. "We appreciate Mr. Hotz's willingness to address the legal issues involved in this case and work with us to quickly bring this matter to an early resolution."


Hotz said he wasn't going to miss his vacation since he's had it booked from November.  Who knows, who cares?  Looks like Sony got to swing around their hammer a bit and flex their muscles, while Hotz got to do pretty much whatever he wanted to until he got back from South America.  Regardless, I could care less since I play on the XBOX 360. :p