PS JailBreak Sales Suspended in Australia Pending Court Case
It didn't take long for Sony to respond to the sudden release of the PS JailBreak PS3 USB dongle that turned any retail console into a debug console, allowing games to be ripped to disk and run from a hard drive (as well as running unsigned code). A court order has been issued by the Federal Court of Australia preventing sale of the devices through the Mod Supplier, Quantronics and Ozmodchips online sites. Sale of the devices is suspended pending a court hearing that is due to take place on the 31st of August.
While console modding has been determined to be legal in a number of legal jurisdictions, the close similarities with Sony's test jig module will likely give Sony a greater chance of suppressing the distribution of PS JailBreak dongles in Australia. While some sites are claiming that the device is not a clone of the test jig, close reading of the actual text suggests otherwise. PS JailBreak is not, at the hardware level, a direct clone of the test jig (something which was already known), but implements elements of the test jig's functionality via its own software implementation (i.e. emulated). This much was understood from the initial release, but has been confirmed via other sources. Just how much information has come from previously leaked test jig data is sure to come out in the process of the court hearings. Should any of Sony's proprietary code exist in the device, it could signal the end of the devices, at least in Australia - from Australian vendors.
According to reports, Ozmodchips have cancelled all of the pre-orders for the devices and is refunding customers their money.
Unfortunately for Sony's efforts, enough of the devices and details of how they work have made it into circulation and it will be a short matter of time before the clones start appearing, being manufactured and distributed from locations where legal action will be unlikely to be enforced.
28 August 2010
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