Geohot Sony settlement details leak
Break it and face $10,000, $250,000 fines.
The terms of the settlement between George Hotz (aka Geohot) and Sony have been revealed.
Hotz (and his "servants") must permanently restrain from "unauthorised access" to any Sony machines either under the law or under Sony's terms and conditions, demands the settlement, posted by PSX-Scene (via QuickJump)
"Unauthorised access" consists of the following:
- Reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling any portion of the Sony Product
- Using any tools to bypass, disable, or circumvent any encryption security, or authentication mechanism in the Sony Product
- Using any hardware or software to cause the Sony Product to accept or use unauthorised, illegal or pirated software or hardware
- Exploiting any Sony Product to design, develop, update or distribute unauthorized software or hardware for use with the Sony Product
"Trafficking", "distributing" or "knowingly assisting" anything related to the above is also a no no.
"IT IS FURTHER ORDERED AND ADJUDGED," shouted the decree, "that any violation of this Injunction and Order by Hotz shall result in his payment of stipulated liquidated damages in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation at the election of SCEA or SCEA's Affiliates.
"In the event that the violation involves distribution or trafficking by Hotz of software, hardware, or any circumvention device, or knowingly assisting the same, each distribution of said software (including downloads via the internet), hardware, or circumvention device shall constitute an independent violation, up to a cap of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).
"Such liquidated damages shall be an optional alternative to demonstrating actual or, if relevant, statutory damages."
The settlement also declares that any legal action brought by SCEA and co. against Hotz will be duked out in a Californian court. But if Hotz takes Sony to court, then a New Jersey trial will be applicable.
The law as it stands in California will govern the settlement.
The settlement between George Hotz - the man who jailbroke PS3 - and Sony was announced yesterday. Sony was "glad" and Hotz was "happy" to bring an end to the legal scrap.
Sony's legal action against George Hotz began back in January.
How will hacker group Anonymous react after it declared war on Sony for it's legal actions against George "Geohot" Hotz? And will Anonymous take any credit for the quick settlement?