Skip to main content

Sony and PS3 hacker Geohot settle out of court

geohotThe bitter war Sony has waged against PS3 hacker George “Geohot” Hotz has finally come to a close. According to the PlayStation blog, the company decided weeks ago to settle out of court with its now infamous enemy. “Sony is glad to put this litigation behind us,” SCEA general counsel for the SCEA Riley Russell said. “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.”

Color us surprised, but less than a month ago Sony filed papers claiming Hotz had fled to South America as part of his “attempts to dodge this Court’s authority.” Hotz responded accordingly, assuring his followers “that not a dime of legal defense money would ever go toward something like this. And of course Townsend [Sony’s law firm] loves the idea of painting me as an international fugitive.” This bitter discourse is exactly why it’s somewhat shocking that Hotz and Sony are playing nice.

Recommended Videos

Well, sort of. According to Sony, Hotz is pleased to resolve that case. “It was never my initentiont o cause any users trouble or to make piracy easier…I’m happy to have the litigation behind me,” the PlayStation blog quotes him as saying. However, Hotz seems to feel otherwise. “As of 4/11/11, I am joining the Sony boycott. I will never purchase another Sony product. I encourage you to do the same. And if you bought something Sony recently, return it,” his own blog reads. He also promises that “there is much more to come on this blog.”

Sony also made it clear that Hotz is not tied to the hacking efforts of Internet vigilante group Anonymous. The company’s statement affirmed he “was not involved in the recent attacks on Sony’s Internet services and websites.”

So while the legal battle appears to be over, it sounds like Hotz isn’t quite done talking. We’re betting Sony will either threaten him into keeping quiet or send some hush up money his way. But we’ll be keeping an eye on his blog in case he can’t be deterred.

Molly McHugh
Former Social Media/Web Editor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
What is Wordle and how do you learn to play it?
Woman playing Wordle on her smartphone.

If you've seen those green squares flooding your social media feed or keep hearing your friends and family talk about keeping their Wordle streaks alive, you're probably curious what this game is that has the world hooked. Wordle hit the mainstream in 2022 and has since become part of most people's daily routine. What makes it so addictive is how challenging it can be to solve a puzzle, which makes it important to know the best Wordle starting words or to check out some Wordle answers and hints for any given day's game. Wordle isn't as complicated as Connections, Strands, NYT Crossword, or the Mini Crossword, but it is a little tricky if you've never played it before. I'll go over all the rules and information you need to become a Wordle pro in no time.

What is Wordle?

Read more
I wasn’t a fan of Mario Kart World’s free roam mode until I changed my perspective
Daisy rides a jetski in Mario Kart World.

Long before Mario Kart World was announced, I theorized what Nintendo's next spin on the franchise would be. Mario Kart 8 introduced anti-gravity, and Mario Kart 7 brought us hang gliders, so I was curious what angles were left to explore that would keep the core kart racing experience intact. As we know now, that turned out to be one giant interconnected map that players are free to explore with no boundaries or time limits.

As interesting as that idea was on paper, I remained a little skeptical due to the lack of details Nintendo gave about what exactly I would be doing in this world. The last trailers showed off a few challenges and collectibles, but I wasn't convinced that was enough to justify the new open-world design. My first week with the game only reinforced that feeling. However, I realized my own expectations were at fault -- not the game -- and have come to appreciate Mario Kart World's world for what it is.

Read more
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (June 20-22)
A crew in FBC: Firebreak.

More and more I am finding myself getting more excited for the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium game announcements than the Essential ones. It always varies, but months like this are some of my favorites. We are getting treated to a day one release, a ton of sleeper hits that didn't get enough attention, and one influential PS2 classic that is great to have available as a PS5 game. Today also just so happens to be the first day of summer, so what better time than now to close the curtains, crank up the AC, and play some great games courtesy of PS Plus? This is my hand-picked selection of PlayStation Plus games you need to play this weekend.

FBC: Firebreak

Read more