Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Intellectual Property Law Blogs -> Groklaw

Intellectual Property Law

: Groklaw

Sony Files Exhibits Trying to Link Hotz to California

By Pamela Jones et al.

I know you are wondering what happens next in Sony v. Hotz if the judge in California decides Sony doesn't have jurisdiction, which she expressed doubts about. And some of you may wonder what jurisdiction means. Sony has filed some exhibits with a Declaration by the lead lawyer, James Gilliland, and so we find out now why Sony thought George Hotz had a PS3 Network account and had links to California, so I'll use that to show you why I agree with the judge that they may not. And if not, the simple answer to what happens next is that Sony can file in New Jersey, which is where George Hotz resides.

So, he will have to face this litigation in one place or another. And that has me wondering about something that some of you will have the expertise to explain to me. Supposing you were Sony, and you were in a panic because you figured some gamers out there would use Hotz's research to cheat on games. You want to shut that door. I know they could make new hardware with a better system to keep this from happening. Hotz offered to show them how. But there are many Playstation 3s out there already. Is there a way to do what Sony wants to do, shut the door that was opened? I mean, for networked gamers, not if you are in your own home tinkering. They likely don't much care about that. But what about the gamers who go online and want to play fair and square? Isn't there a way for Sony to screen who gets to play networked gaming? Why wouldn't that solve its problem? If it is a problem. Maybe it's a missed business opportunity.

Maybe you can explain that to me, and I'll explain to you some things about jurisdiction.

Full post as published by Groklaw on January 18, 2011 (boomark / email).