Sony on Wednesday issued an edict: if a user hacks the PlayStation 3, that user will be banned for life from Sony’s online services, permanently.
Sony Computer Entertainment posted the message on its PlayStation blog, along with some additional explanation. If a user uses some device, utility, or other methods to circumvent the copy protection used by the PlayStation 3, and Sony detects it, that user will be banned from the PlayStation Network and the Qriocity movie-streaming service permanently.
Sony’s notice reads:
“Notice: Unauthorized circumvention devices for the PlayStation 3 system have been recently released by hackers. These devices permit the use of unauthorized or pirated software. Use of such devices or software violates the terms of the “System Software License Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System” and the “Terms of Services and User Agreement” for the PlayStation Network/Qriocity and its Community Code of Conduct provisions. Violation of the System Software Licence Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System invalidates the consumer guarantee for that system. In addition, copying or playing pirated software is a violation of International Copyright Laws. Consumers using circumvention devices or running unauthorized or pirated software will have access to the PlayStation Network and access to Qriocity services through PlayStation 3 system terminated permanently. To avoid this, consumers must immediately cease use and remove all circumvention devices and delete all unauthorized or pirated software from their PlayStation 3 systems.”
The company said that its users have asked about how the company will respond to incidents that have been reported in the press, including the discovery of the root key to the PlayStation 3, and the subsequent saga of George “geoh0t” Hotz, “Bushing,” Hector Martin Cantero, Sven Peter, and others alleged to be part of the FAIL0VERFLOW group of hackers that contributed to the release of the PlayStation 3’s root key.
In that case, Sony sued, accusing Hotz and the others with violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, plus breaches of California copyright law, breach of contract, and other violations. The company was granted an injunction preventing Hotz and the others from distributing its software, and Hotz was also ordered to turn over his hard drives. Unfortunately, a Sony affiliate then tweeted the root key again.
[RELATED_ARTICLE]After issuing its statement regarding the strict enforcement of its anti-piracy restrictions, Sony then followed up with a slightly warmer tone.
“By identifying PlayStation 3 systems that breach our guidelines and terminating their ability to connect to PlayStation Network, we are protecting our business and preserving the honest gameplay experiences that you expect and deserve,” Sony’s PlayStation blog added.
“Rest assured, this message does not apply to the overwhelming majority of our users who enjoy the world of entertainment PlayStation 3 has to offer without breaching the guidelines detailed above, and we urge you to continue doing so without fear.”
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