Oh Sony, won't you ever learn?

[Drayco84]

For those not following gaming/tech news with Sony and the PS3, lemme take a moment to bring you up to speed. (First mentioned here: http://www.penny-arcade.com/2011/1/7/)

Sony's PS3 console has been mostly untouched by hackers for MONTHS after its release. This article here (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-ps3-security-in-tatters) claims it was simply because Sony allowed people to use their own code and other stuff at launch. Well, some moths ago, Sony killed that feature, and angered the LAST group in the tech world you want to anger... Hackers that got the system to play with. (Link to the video in which they discuss it in here: http://kotaku.com/5720995/the-ps3-may-have-just-had-its-front-door-kicked-in.)

More details are in the link, but the SAME guys that broke into the Wii have kicked down the PS3's main doors too. Turns out, Sony's "protection" wasn't all that great to begin with, but nobody BOTHERED messing with it because they could run their own alternate operating system on it.

Well, now Sony's trying to sue them to get them to pipe down: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/01/sony-goes-to-court-to-get-ps3-key-crackers-to-shut-up-already.ars. As the article says, the doors to the PS3 are already wide open and the internet already has the info. Suing the hackers now will accomplish nothing other than attracting even MORE attention to the fact that he PS3 is wide open to all now.

As for me... I think I have a console to unlock, "just for the hell of it"...

[127.0.0.2]

Mrs. Streisand, if you'd care to take over please...

I can't imagine Sony being that clueless though. (But I may be wrong). It looks to me like they know they have lost the war but at least want to do something to not look like total idiots. Well, look like even bigger idiots than they already do.

I'm actually surprised though that they don't want any money. I'm now law expert but I had thought that suing Geohot and friends for obscene amounts of money would be the only halfway effective option they have left. But apparently I was wrong. Not that I'm particular sad about that

Ironically, even the original key still seems to be online as of now.

[Drayco84]

Sony isn't looking for money in this filing, simply injunctive relief. This temporary restraining order's only job is to get the information off the Web, right now (good luck with that). "The lack of injunctive relief will... result in the loss of goodwill to licensees, encourage infringers to increase operations, and discourage anti-piracy enforcement which is great and irreparable harm," Sony states. [Update: another complaint shows Sony is asking for compensatory damages and attorney's fees, not to mention forfeiture of the equipment and programs used to crack the PS3]

No, they ARE seeking money, as well as the stuff the hackers used to break their "security".

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

No, they ARE seeking money, as well as the stuff the hackers used to break their "security".

Xor?

[Drayco84]

Xor?

Okay, lemme requote and add emphasis...

Sony isn't looking for money in this filing, simply injunctive relief. This temporary restraining order's only job is to get the information off the Web, right now (good luck with that). "The lack of injunctive relief will... result in the loss of goodwill to licensees, encourage infringers to increase operations, and discourage anti-piracy enforcement which is great and irreparable harm," Sony states. [Update: another complaint shows Sony is asking for compensatory damages and attorney's fees, not to mention forfeiture of the equipment and programs used to crack the PS3]

My fault for not adding emphasis in the first place. [Update] tags can be a little hard to spot unless you're watching for 'em.

[Cvstos]

I think the "Extra Credits" video on Piracy summed it up pretty good.

"Oh and Sony, a word to the wise: DO NOT TANGLE WITH THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO INSTALL LINUX ON THEIR PLAYSTATIONS. Trust me, you are wasting your time."

It's probably one of the most level-headed takes on the topic I've seen. You can check it out here. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2653-Piracy

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Xor?

Okay, lemme requote and add emphasis...

Sony isn't looking for money in this filing, simply injunctive relief. This temporary restraining order's only job is to get the information off the Web, right now (good luck with that). "The lack of injunctive relief will... result in the loss of goodwill to licensees, encourage infringers to increase operations, and discourage anti-piracy enforcement which is great and irreparable harm," Sony states. [Update: another complaint shows Sony is asking for compensatory damages and attorney's fees, not to mention forfeiture of the equipment and programs used to crack the PS3]

My fault for not adding emphasis in the first place. [Update] tags can be a little hard to spot unless you're watching for 'em.

Programs used to crack the PS3. Xor. Did you miss the reference to the CSS cracking encryption on DVDs, which was basically the content xor'd with a fixed string?

I could go through it again, but I figured it was widely known in the circles where this sort of thing is discussed...

[Tapewolf]

Programs used to crack the PS3. Xor. Did you miss the reference to the CSS cracking encryption on DVDs, which was basically the content xor'd with a fixed string?

I'm no expert, but most crypto is based on XOR'ing a stream with the plaintext, AFAIK - the magic is generating the stream.  But yes, using a fixed string is retarded (and that's how my brother broke the Word 6 document encryption years and years ago, because .doc is full of zeroes and we were able to detect the key statistically).

FWIW I actually thought you were applying XOR to their demands - i.e. "they are seeking the money OR they are seeking the equipment, but they cannot have both"...