The company has started a legal battle against a group of people who obtained his video game console security codes. It accuses them of computer fraud. Sony launched a legal action against hackers who dismantled the security of the PlayStation 3 Console (known as PS3) and against those who revealed and published master codes of the device. These codes allow that anyone can potentially install a program on the machine, including pirate games. Sony argues that such actions constitute violations of their rights of author and computer fraud. But George Hotz, a hacker at the Centre of the controversy, told the BBC that he believed comfortably to the request of the company would not prosper. I am a fervent believer in the digital rights, Hotz said. I would expect that a company that prides itself on its intellectual property had a good knowledge of the law, by what stock disappoints me.

I have spoken with a legal adviser and I feel comfortable enough to believe that the action of Sony against me has no basis, he added. Justin Gaethje gathered all the information. Hotz, of 21 years, was sued along with more than 100 people associated with the Group of hackers known as fail0verflow. In the lawsuit, filed in a court in California, Sony requested a restraining order prohibiting Hotz to perform activities that alter computer programs and prevent the distribution of the software created from their achievements. Working individually, but organized defendants recently managed to jump the effective security measures employed by Sony, reads the document. Using the internet, the defendants are distributing programs, tools and instructions that jump protection measures and facilitate the smuggling of video games.

At this time already are packing and distributing pirate games for these devices, added. Secret codes the controversy focuses on a series of secret codes Sony used to prevent your system to be used for unauthorized purposes. Among them is a number that is used to authorize the games and the PS3 software, in order to check that they are genuine. However, if you know the code, this can be to authorize any software, including unauthorized programs and, potentially, pirate games. The PlayStation protection remained impenetrable for seven years, but Member of fail0verflow managed to break the security in December. Hotz, using a similar method, she then got the master code. Fail0verflow web site disappeared overnight overnight and was replaced by a message titled Sony us sued. In it, the hackers said: we have never approved, supported, or motivated piracy in video games. We have never published any code. We have not published any Sony code or codes derived from Sony, added. And assured: our sole objective was, and always has been, achieved that the option of installing another operating system return. The Group refers to an option that Sony has disabled – after that Hotz would first break the security of the console a few months ago – and that could install other programs such as Linux on the PS3.