GeoHot asks for donations to fight Sony’s PS3 hacking lawsuit

Emil

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Staff

PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George Hotz, also known as GeoHot, is asking for donations to help pay for legal defense fees in his fight against Sony. He specifically calls the electronic giant a bully and then outlines why he needs financial help:

Media, I need your help. This is the first time I have ever asked. Please, if you support this cause, help me out and spread the word.
I want, by the time this goes to trial, to have Sony facing some of the hardest hitting lawyers in the business.
Together, we can help fix the system
Donations here are for legal defense ONLY
I checked with my lawyers before setting this up
If you have another substantial way to donate aside from money, let me know

GeoHot says he would hate to lose this case due to resource starvation and so he needs the support of the masses to set a precedent for consoles and all closed systems to come. He insists that Sony sued the wrong guy since he is an advocate against mass piracy and does not distribute anyone's copyrighted work but his own. His goal for the PS3 is to provide users a legitimate path to homebrew, which should be legal according to previous non-console court cases. He also notes that his rap video in which he attacks Sony was just an attempt at humor and he really does take the whole legal matter very seriously.

Although GeoHot doesn't specify how much you should donate, he does indicate that Sony has five lawyers while he has two, and that he already has racked up over $10,000 in legal bills. He also notes that the Electronic Frontier Foundation has provided some legal help and so leftover donations will go to them. If Sony were to settle, "I want the settlement terms to include OtherOS on all PS3s and an apology on the PlayStation blog for ever removing it," he notes. "It'd be good PR for Sony too, lord knows they could use it. I'm also willing to accept a trade, a legit path to homebrew for knowledge of how to stop new firmwares from being decrypted."

Sony's legal attacks against the hackers that released the PS3 root key and custom firmware began last month. The group known as fail0verflow is accused of posting a rudimentary hack in December 2010 after finding security codes for the PS3. It was refined by GeoHot weeks later when he independently found and published the PS3 root key. The resulting hacks allow homebrew apps and pirated software to run on unmodified consoles. Sony is still threatening to sue anybody posting or distributing PS3 jailbreak code, despite the fact that the company accidentally tweeted the PlayStation 3 security key. Sony's official stance is if you crack your PS3, you'll get banned.

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If I was better off financially I would most likely donate a large sum of money to fight sony. It'd be my big "FU" to sony AND consoles.
 
Just sent him $50. I can't really afford it but what sony is doing to him is unfair and he needs help fighting the ****ers off.
 
The trade sounds fair but Sony isn't going to accept it, they want his head. Maybe he would make a better employee for security than a criminal.
 
The guy should fry for what he did. If he was such "an advocate against mass piracy" he would have just implemented the key into his software, or submit it to Sony for distribution on the PSN and could have at least been making some money, but no, he had to give the key to every hacker out there to ruin online gaming forever. He didn't even consider the consequences or how he would defend himself. Now he hopes there are enough hackers out there to thank him by donating.
 
gunzablazin do u even know whats happening *****. geohotz did not post the key to ever hacker only very few hackers thats related to geohotz know the key or ps3 would already be ruined and took him to jail already. sony has won the law suit because geohotz couldnt fight back so he has to give his computer hardrive to sony. if the key was given to ever hacker sony would give up on there ps3 since the key allows custom firmware, priated games any programs and software to run on his system and even if this key was given out it wont effect online gamign that much and online gaming is not restricted to stupid sony ps3 there xbox, wii, pc and nintendo ds and all other new device thats going to have online gaming the key just mostly effects sony ps3 and the biggest fail handheld the psp(why did i waste money on psp-.-)
sony being doing lots of stuff that should eb breaking laws like update which blocks installing of custom os when they say is allowed in sale when it first came out just to disable it and when ps3 supposed to be backward comaptable with ps2 gmaes but only very rare old ones are now all the new ones dont support ps2 games
 
...i belive that no matter how u come across information these days that can/will have the power to change and impact the masses in either good or bad, u hold a responsebility for the consequences your actions might leave!

With that said i also belive that wikileaks holds a responsebility for impact there actions carries, obviously i belive in the free-speech etc. but the truth and justice isnt black and white, so when u post a leak selling another person in a matter that can treathen the live of that person, u will have to decide if u will pull the trigger on that person, because as i see it its just the same if u dont consider the consequences and the following events leading to the death of a human being.

...If u want the world to be a better place, u lead by example...
 
He could have posted the information anonymously and nobody would be the wiser. If you want credit for what you have done, you'll have to accept the consequences.

Julian the Fecund could have also accomplished his task without being all over the news.

Credit to these people for what they are doing, but they obviously wanted the publicity for their deeds, otherwise they would have just kept quiet about what they did.
 
Mm wouldn't the hacker go to like a library without cameras and post on numerous sites or something? If hes the person who hacked it and publicly posted it hes a ***** who wanted to be in the spotlight.
 
I can't believe people would actually stand behind $ony on this issue. Be in the spotlight? Publicity? Ruin online gaming? You're more concerned about your K/D in CoD than the right to do what you want with YOUR toy, as opposed to $ony telling you what can and can't be done? $ony ISN'T the end-all be-all of online gaming, just to break it to you nicely.

What is wrong with this picture? Hey, the (NOW COMPLETELY LEGAL) Iphone jailbreaking jazz would've never come around if it wasn't for Geo. How many of you use your apple-branded on a daily basis? How many of you make phone calls on said crap?

If he loses this, this will only set the tone for what companies will tell you what you can and can not do with your personal playthings. All for what, your Javelin glitches? Worried about your clan's rep in the next CoD?

You have EVERY RIGHT to do what you want with the hardware that YOU paid for with your two week's pay. Got that? You've got to take the good with the bad. Will you stop accessing the internet because other people are using it to scam other? No, you won't, because you can't get enough 4chan, lolcats and the chance to "publicly" call someone else an ***** while you sit comfortably knowing that they'll never be able to find you out in public. Will you stop driving your cars because other *******es on the road refuse to think of others first and NOT drive like self-centered pricks? No, you won't, because you've got to get to your jobs so you can continue to pay for internet access so you can troll 4chan so you can call other people faggots.

Support the ideal of doing what you want with what you own. Don't support the thought that other people can live your personal lives (however recreational) for you.
 
I agree with GunsAblazin, Geo knew this was going to open the door for hackers, if he's so against pirating then he should of reconsider posting he's tweaks. Biggest hypocrite IMO, hope he burns in legal hell. The only reason i'm saying this is because honest people are the ones that get inconvenienced and hurt in the end financially. People that support this douche are the same people that enjoy pirating.
 
jsv004 said:
I agree with GunsAblazin, Geo knew this was going to open the door for hackers, if he's so against pirating then he should of reconsider posting he's tweaks. Biggest hypocrite IMO, hope he burns in legal hell. The only reason i'm saying this is because honest people are the ones that get inconvenienced and hurt in the end financially. People that support this douche are the same people that enjoy pirating.

One member with 4 posts agrees with a member with 5 posts. Who are we to argue with such well known and respected members of the techspot community?
 
treepick said:
I can't believe people would actually stand behind $ony on this issue. Be in the spotlight? Publicity? Ruin online gaming? You're more concerned about your K/D in CoD than the right to do what you want with YOUR toy, as opposed to $ony telling you what can and can't be done? $ony ISN'T the end-all be-all of online gaming, just to break it to you nicely.

What is wrong with this picture? Hey, the (NOW COMPLETELY LEGAL) Iphone jailbreaking jazz would've never come around if it wasn't for Geo. How many of you use your apple-branded on a daily basis? How many of you make phone calls on said crap?

If he loses this, this will only set the tone for what companies will tell you what you can and can not do with your personal playthings. All for what, your Javelin glitches? Worried about your clan's rep in the next CoD?

You have EVERY RIGHT to do what you want with the hardware that YOU paid for with your two week's pay. Got that? You've got to take the good with the bad. Will you stop accessing the internet because other people are using it to scam other? No, you won't, because you can't get enough 4chan, lolcats and the chance to "publicly" call someone else an ***** while you sit comfortably knowing that they'll never be able to find you out in public. Will you stop driving your cars because other *******es on the road refuse to think of others first and NOT drive like self-centered pricks? No, you won't, because you've got to get to your jobs so you can continue to pay for internet access so you can troll 4chan so you can call other people faggots.

Support the ideal of doing what you want with what you own. Don't support the thought that other people can live your personal lives (however recreational) for you.

So if i buy a gun i have the rights to kill my lousy neighbor?
 
Cota said:
treepick said:
I can't believe people would actually stand behind $ony on this issue. Be in the spotlight? Publicity? Ruin online gaming? You're more concerned about your K/D in CoD than the right to do what you want with YOUR toy, as opposed to $ony telling you what can and can't be done? $ony ISN'T the end-all be-all of online gaming, just to break it to you nicely.

What is wrong with this picture? Hey, the (NOW COMPLETELY LEGAL) Iphone jailbreaking jazz would've never come around if it wasn't for Geo. How many of you use your apple-branded on a daily basis? How many of you make phone calls on said crap?

If he loses this, this will only set the tone for what companies will tell you what you can and can not do with your personal playthings. All for what, your Javelin glitches? Worried about your clan's rep in the next CoD?

You have EVERY RIGHT to do what you want with the hardware that YOU paid for with your two week's pay. Got that? You've got to take the good with the bad. Will you stop accessing the internet because other people are using it to scam other? No, you won't, because you can't get enough 4chan, lolcats and the chance to "publicly" call someone else an ***** while you sit comfortably knowing that they'll never be able to find you out in public. Will you stop driving your cars because other *******es on the road refuse to think of others first and NOT drive like self-centered pricks? No, you won't, because you've got to get to your jobs so you can continue to pay for internet access so you can troll 4chan so you can call other people faggots.

Support the ideal of doing what you want with what you own. Don't support the thought that other people can live your personal lives (however recreational) for you.

So if i buy a gun i have the rights to kill my lousy neighbor?

Jailbreaking the PS3 isn't illegal. Murder is. That was an really dumb comparison of apples to oranges,
 
Princeton said:
jsv004 said:
I agree with GunsAblazin, Geo knew this was going to open the door for hackers, if he's so against pirating then he should of reconsider posting he's tweaks. Biggest hypocrite IMO, hope he burns in legal hell. The only reason i'm saying this is because honest people are the ones that get inconvenienced and hurt in the end financially. People that support this douche are the same people that enjoy pirating.

One member with 4 posts agrees with a member with 5 posts. Who are we to argue with such well known and respected members of the techspot community?

right.... like having hundreds of posts makes your opinion any better or respected >.>. Get a life dude.
 
jsv004 said:Get a life dude.

This is coming from the guy who is freaking out over the internet at a german who used tools that already existed to find a line of code. You just broke the irony meter.

Also it's pretty obvious that you only joined to get a chance in the 2010 xmas giveaway.
 
Screw that dude, im sick of all these hacker kids thinking that its ok to destroy intellectual property. If it was him owning sony and somebody gave up his secret so he could no longer profit from his original source codes he would be pissed. I dont care if sony blah blah blah reposted the key, cause without these dumb fuc*s trying to get something for free in the first place that wouldnt have happened. Plus his raps suck, I hope he tells the convicts he's in jail with to rap(wrap) their coc*s in trojans before he gets anally raped. This is the reason why the music industry has gone to crap, why in the future the movie, software, console industries will begin to die also, as the money flow will start slowly drying up due to proliferation of free downloading. Why create quality content for industries that mostly just get your creations for free? Would you want to work all day for someone not to pay you for your services, NO!
 
hello ...

yeah it's me, anti-hacking, anti-piracy, anti-stupidity :) ... & all i can see that this site isn't what it used to be, with some exception, a lot have gone the wrong side of the road & think they are defending THEIR rights while being totally biased by THEIR immoral taste.

1st - GeoHot did something wrong to some (maybe not to those having no keen sense of judgement) & even if this brought good stuff (what !?, even on iphone, tell me what good it brought!? i don't know i admit, i can see only the bad stuffs that resulted from it), to every action there are consequences according to law, morality & whatever ...

2nd - If he wanted this so bad, he could have kept it for himself, not release to the public, to this he's as stupid man as he may be intelligent hacker.

3rd - STOP IT with i buy it, i OWN it, those thinking they own even their own lives are totally out of reality, you don't own anything, what you paid 300-800$ a product, not the technology, you bought the right of use, not the concept, you bought the physical material, not the system driving it. it applies to everything, from the toothpaste you use (if you do) when you wake up to the book you read before going to bed, you pay for the right of using these items, this is the law, this is how we, as human, function ... you don't own your neighbor's garden, even if everyday you can look at the flowers ... freedom is a big word misused by those who mistake it for rights, our freedom ends where someone else's starts & even if the latter is a big corporate having lot of cash.

4th - I see a lot of hypocrite, well SONY, like any other big business is E.V.I.L, because all they want is make money, so what is the purpose of making business according to you !? Big corporates are made up with humans, some rich, some not that much, they bring jobs, they create stuffs we like, without them what would life be ? If you don't support a product, don't say it's bad, just state your taste & don't mix-up with opinion, for an opinion to exist must also have a wide acceptance.

NO ONE OWNS anything, we are here to live our life by doing the less bad things towards others, if you don't understand this, i don't feel like you will ever understand anything, so flame me & show how pathetic you are. I'm no 4-5 post 'techspot dweller' do this make me different, i agree with jsv004 point of view, yet won't go into threatening the 'poor GeoHot' ... all i can say is STOP showing how lame someone can be by criticizing a product because you don't own, or don't like a platform, i know we have mostly PC fanboys here, but ONLY someone stupid or having no time would stick to one platform if he is a gamer, it's not only about graphics here, but the fun of gaming, so if you feel like the PS3 isn't worth it, it's not your opinion but your belief, because like said before, an opinion is supported by a mass, while taste & belief is personal, stating otherwise will show your limits.

Anyone who donated to this guy, really should learn what are priorities ... even if i had that much money to waste, i wouldn't send a penny to him, he's getting what he deserves, i don't want him to be imprisoned or going broke, i just hope that SONY pushes him to work for them to pay back until he proves himself good enough to be employed or released. He is not the best hacker ever, sorry, he's just 1 who likes to show off, others are employed by big firms & he will just be burnt on the pyre of his own vanity. In my part of the world, piracy, stealing is common, i'm not Don Quichotte to fight against it, GeoHot isn't Robin Hood, he has a high-ego & thinks he is smart, no sir you aren't & your followers less ...

Again in my part of the world, we do make donations to help, not far than this morning was touched by our solidarity to help a 7 year old kid, he's got leukemia & being treated in India, he needs money, i'd rather send all my wages to that poor kid far from his island, that to someone who feels he has all the right in defending a stupid case. sorry for long post, now there is thunder so i'll end (good for you)

to this, please do yourself a favor, do think about all this & when you will be the one being exploited by future GeoHot look-alike, come & say that he is right.

cheers!
 
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