Kellar rejected Sony's arguments, claiming they are smokescreens for the company's real objective. "It's an attempt from Sony to send a message that any individual using Sony hardware in a way Sony does not deem appropriate will result in harsh legal consequences from a multi-billion-dollar company, irrespective of any legal basis or authority for such action."
The law is murky as to how far user agreements and manufacturer's intellectual property rights can be used to prevent people from hacking into electronics they legitimately purchased. Federal regulators last July ruled that it was OK to hack the iPhone to run software not approved by Apple, as long as no lawful copyrights were violated.
The 21-year-old Hotz, who goes by the name Geohot on the Web, gained notoriety four years ago when he hacked his iPhone in order to use it on multiple carriers' networks. Apple at the time had an exclusive deal with AT&T. In late 2009, he turned his attention to the PS3 and documented his attempt to hack the system on his Web site. Hotz's work prompted Sony to make changes to the system in order to boost security.
Also named as defendants in the complaint are Hector Martin Cantero of Spain and Sven Peter of Hungary, who are members of a group called FailOverFlow, which developed code for hacking the PS3 that Hotz used in his work.
SEE ALSO:
Sony Sues Hackers Over PS3 Jailbreak