Official Statement Regarding PS3 Circumvention Devices and Pirated Software

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Today, Sony Computer Entertainment released the following statement:

Notice: Unauthorized circumvention devices for the PlayStation 3 system have been recently released by hackers. These devices permit the use of unauthorized or pirated software. Use of such devices or software violates the terms of the “System Software License Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System” and the “Terms of Services and User Agreement” for the PlayStation Network/Qriocity and its Community Code of Conduct provisions. Violation of the System Software Licence Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System invalidates the consumer guarantee for that system. In addition, copying or playing pirated software is a violation of International Copyright Laws. Consumers using circumvention devices or running unauthorized or pirated software will have access to the PlayStation Network and access to Qriocity services through PlayStation 3 system terminated permanently.

To avoid this, consumers must immediately cease use and remove all circumvention devices and delete all unauthorized or pirated software from their PlayStation 3 systems.

What this means to you

Circumvention devices and game piracy damage our industry and can potentially injure the online experience for you, our loyal PlayStation customers, via hacks and cheats.

Many PlayStation.Blog readers have asked how we intend to deal with these incidents that they have been reading about in the gaming press, and this is our initial response.

By identifying PlayStation 3 systems that breach our guidelines and terminating their ability to connect to PlayStation Network, we are protecting our business and preserving the honest gameplay experiences that you expect and deserve.

Rest assured, this message does not apply to the overwhelming majority of our users who enjoy the world of entertainment PlayStation 3 has to offer without breaching the guidelines detailed above, and we urge you to continue doing so without fear.

Comments are closed.

737 Comments

  • New comments accepted , and mine telling the truth denied !!! (waiting for approval …. like you have to wait for 365 days for the approval … )

  • You stole our money fees for the OTHER OS capability .
    They stole you back , but ten time worst .

    Long live PlayStation , look at your policy , what ? you want me to hate PlayStation ?

    PS : I hate backups buyers .GIVE US BACK OUR OTHER OS SERVICE !

  • ++1 +2 +4 (Y) (Y) Blazeking (F) .

    Where were they when glitching was the most used online gaming Technic in Cod , Metal gear , killzone , socom …etc .

    GIVE US OUR OTHER OS YOU THIEVES !!!!

  • yeah i think you can format and install legit firmware i think your

    @iH3ART_Z0IVIBI3S yeah i cant wait i just wish i would have got the 65″ 3d but i just got a new thx certified hd 7.1 sound system too. im stoked about killzone

  • Wonder if Sony will post a article about them invading peoples privacy like Dukio did? Bet they don’t.

  • Z0mbiewraz , are you fr3ak1ng idi0t or what ? Did I choose to bump your bl0ody blurays using linux ? ( concerning the OTHER OS ) , it’s your problem not ours , we bought the service , we own it . PERIOD .

  • people really need to read the end user agreements instead of running their mouths about something they dont understand. xbox does it too and the wii.

  • you dont own any service sony offered it then chose to remove it which is their right read the liscence agreement then go hang yourself do the world a favor

  • Hey, Sony, how’s that unencrypted storing of every PSN user’s credit card information working out for ya?

    ps3hax(dot)net/2011/02/call-of-privacy-modern-spyware-by-playstation-network/#axzz1EG4dRmPO

  • I Facking bought it , I normally own it .
    Your bl00dy da-mn agreement is obligatory , how could i play if I don’t accept it ? You make it longer than Guineas World Records Book , why aren’t you showing it at the moment of the purchase of the system ? At stores for examples ? Afraid of buying disapproval ?

    GIVE US BACK OUR OTHER OS :) , FACK UR AGREEMENT :) .

  • I may be the last person to agree with this statement regarding piracy and custom pirated games. Who needs cheats to get it out of the game I mean that’s just absolute BS, but the question is why are these guys doing this? Well, the only thing I can think of is that they want to hack those games especially Modern Warfare 2 for users to boost and get revenge I mean they’re too sorry to lose a match. Real gamers don’t cheat! Period.

  • Oh, and i’m never using the pseye ever again know that is known that sony is spying on people. Who knows what kind of personal stuff they are pulling off of our hdd’s. I have some very personal stuff on mine and i will now be moving them off of my system as well as unplugging my pseye. Never going to use Move just because of this. Oh, and leaving unencrypted CC info on a sever? Are you serious?! You better be worrying about that first because the laws in NJ don’t play that.

  • Finally, THEY LIBRARY OF GAMES SUX AND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DEVOID OF ANY INNOVATION. I have 2 PS3’s and 2 PSP’s, and honestly, I should have gone with XBOX/WII and Apple. At least with the Wii I would have gotten some good service with my catastrophic hardware failure. Also, NGP so I can have the awesome luxury of paying for games I already own like mgs4? yay. If there’s any innovation at all coming from sony (like the wii-mote I MEAN PS Move which is gonna die in a year), I would be surprised as hell.

  • Additionally, UPDATE YOUR DAMN WEB BROWSER BEFORE THE BRAND NEW HOMEBREW SCENE BEATS YOU TO IT!

  • Sony better send ninjas to off these hackers.

  • if you dont like the library of games dont play it people are such babies. the wii motion is crap compared to the move the xbox will be dead sooner then ps3 there are plenty of great ps3 games go back to xbox then dont need babies on ps3 we will see what you say when microsoft stops supporting the xbox cause it cant run games with graphics like the ps3 only thing keeping xbox alive is the konect which they made open source cause they knew their system is on the way out. at lleast the ps3 has the hardware to keep making games for a few years the xbox is dead in the water as far as graphics are concerned. all these babies complain yet they still use their ps3. dont like it get rid of it and go back to your kiddy wii with its lower then sub par graphics and lame library of games. all us happy sony customers are fine if you all just leave hackers are just mad becuase sony is doing something to stop all these losers

  • @Blazeking

    You are ridiculous…really? They are going to spy on me with my PS Eye? HAHA…wow they are gonna watch you as you play your move?!?!?! I’m sure that Sony is going to take the time to watch you play when you’re supposedly not violating any parts of the Eula…wow man really? That has probably the dumbest thing I have seen all day.

  • @Zombiewraz

    Exactly!!! That is why you have to be 18 to be on the PSN or have to have mommy and daddy’s permission first. The PS3 is a console made for adults. Made for the adult that loves gaming and acts like and adult. If they are going to keep complaining than play with the 12 year olds on Xbox live and play mario with the toddlers on your Wii. PS3 FTW!!!

  • @615 Yes, Sony should be allowed to execute whoever they please.

    The level of sheer idiocy in this thread is staggering.

  • LONG LIVE PLAYSTATION !

    GIVE US BACK ” OTHER OS ” SUPPORT !

  • Good job SCE.

    I’m getting tired of these hackers, cheaters, scaliwags. I didn’t pay $600 and over a $1000 in videogames to have my online gaming experiences ruined by some hackers, smh.

  • There’s a really big picture that a lot of people are missing.
    When you bought the PS3, you did gain ownership of that console. As long as that Playstation is never connected to the internet, you preserve the privilege to do WHATEVER your heart wishes with it. For instance, if the system is offline, the update was never prompted. You still have the Other OS option! If the PS3 is offline and you want to hack it until it screams your name,Awesome.
    **Bottom Line** It’s your PS3 system, not your Playstation Network. Sony runs the network. If your ps3 is hacked and not connected to the internet, you never received the email asking you to uninstall the hack because that’s how they knew where to send the email.

  • The casual players shouldn’t be punished by your hacking techniques on the network! While we’re all enjoying online play and taking advantage of the PS Store options, your system can quietly dwindle away. No more new Blueray movies because you’re encryption keys are out of date. No more new games- because you can’t install the patches that keep them from glitching. (Not that it matters to the Pirates. They’re to busy getting Booty!) Enjoy your hacked system. When it’s banned for hacking though, you can’t say that nobody warned you.
    Surprise- Sony DOES own the network. They CAN pick who gets to play. If anyone has a problem with that, they shouldn’t have agreed to the terms of use when they made their PSN Accounts.

  • if you wanna hack then hack but i dont trust that hackers arent cheating and for the ones that dont cheat when they hack to bad you get grouped up with the ones that do…I would rather ban all hackers then have the chance of cheaters ruining my games…for instance MW2 UNPLAYABLE due to cheaters. i believe that banning from playing on internet with us non hackers is fair thier are more of us then you. More people dont hack then do Hack and Sony is protecting the majority from the minority who do hack and cheat….

  • @Sony

    This site is the mother lode of all hacking and jailbreak activities including trophy hacking for money and account trading.

    nextgenupdate.com/forums/trophies/

  • I am not happy with sony as i had purchased the ps3 when they first came out, my ppurchase was based on the fact that i was able to run linux on my system. at the time i was a full time student. so i used my ps3 both as a pc, and a game system. i had serveral documents typped up and saved on the desktop of my linux os, whn sony decided to remove the other os feature i lost those documents, and in return lost my job. thanks sony.

    so does that mean i should sue sony for removing a advertised feature and causeing financial damages to me and my family?

  • @iH3ART_Z0IVIBI3S
    you have to add me on ps3 not enough grown up adults on there
    i love how people compare the xbox and their online service to ps3 they charge you 60 a year just to play games online with people, ps3 is free yeah some games may not have all the features but its free, ive never had a issue playing online. and im a proud plus member becuase you get your moneys worth and more and as for sony spying on you with the eye. are you kidding me? how stupid are you all these conspiracy theroies make me laugh.if your worried then unplug it my god the mentality of some people. sony baning all the hackers is about protecting the system and the future of gaming why would a developer make games if they know people are going to steal ad hack it? they wouldnt and the future of gaming would be no future at all.all sony is doing is trying to move into the future of gaming, the ps3 is a future proof system for the most part. the xbox is using old tech and the new ones they have a block to keep the cpu speed down becuase they know the system would fail that on its own is cheating people. sony is movin into the future if you dont like it move on. look at the features sony has been adding 3d pictures and photo software,

  • they are now going into the hd video editing game its a complete system for people who appreciate a all in one system. becuase of that i have a hd camcorder and a digital camera that does 3d pictures you dont like what they are doing move on. and people who complain about not being able to run linux use a pc why would you use a game system for a pc? its a entertainment system plain and simple and sony is doing the right thing to protect it

  • @xXJ8994Xx
    thats understandable for sure being a student but you can get a super cheap pc tower and run ubuntu i run it on my netbook ad oldertower.

  • @Zombiewraz
    I will definitely be adding you.
    People forget that the removal of the other OS sucked but it was Sony’s choice. PEOPLE!!! You own the hardware, not the software!!! You also need to remember that the PS3 is a gaming system with the functionality to play movies, BD movies, music, store and edit photos and videos, voice and text chat, DLNA, all of these things but what it comes down to is that it’s not a computer, it’s a gaming entertainment system. Get over your Other OS loss and move on.

  • Banned all hacker !!!!

  • im happy that sony banned those all hacker

  • So when is SONY going to take this kind of action in improving their PSN features? Home failed and should be abandoned. What is next? How about adding some worth to trophies like points towards buying more games? How about quality co-op games on the PSN? How about cross game chat? etc.

  • this is the most commented topic i’ve ever see in playstation blog

  • @DefiniteWit
    i totaly agree about home its a waste they dont need it at all ive never used dit and deleted it. the idea is cool but its poorly executed. i dont think they should use trophies towards buying games but it would be cool if you could use it towards maybe themes, avatars, maybe even dlc items. give people something for gettint trophies. cross game chat would be cool maybe in time home can go for sure though

  • yes, thank you sony, the ps3 hack sucks, I love my ps3, i love play online, and 100% original, no custom ;-)

  • yeah.I need PSN.HATE PS3 hackers . By the way can sony improve PSN features in this action??

  • can some1 tell me if some1 got into a challenge lobby and got all tittles and emblems if they get their ps3 terminated 4ever like i got into a challnge lobby b4 i didnt want to i joined a SND on mw2 and it instanly said “you are now level 70 back out and prestige” and stuff but i was already 10th prestige lvl 70 and i do not hack this game i dont have custom firmware nothing i just got into a bad game and also my friend has a 11th prestige account HE DID NOT HACK IT he got his account hacked and he called up sony and got it back and then when he did it was 11th prestige and he says he hates it and he wants to kno if he will get his ps3 terminated also

    and btw sony i like the idea of u getting rid of the hackers but think of this…..u terminate the ppl’s ps3 4 ever ur goin 2 loose a [DELETED] load of buisness just saying

  • Because no one else will do it:

    Per the System Software V1.4 license agreement (waaaay before GeoHot or the V3.21-Removal of the OtherOS feature):

    “1. LICENSE GRANT

    …To the extent permitted by applicable law, your rights to use or access the current version of the System Software will cease upon installation of a newer version of the System Software onto your PS3™ system, whether such installation occurs through manual or automatic download by SCE through SCE’s online network, or otherwise. You do not have any ownership rights or interests in the System Software. All intellectual property rights therein belong to SCE and its licensors, and all use or access to such System Software shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement and all applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. Except as expressly granted in this Agreement, SCE and its licensors reserve all rights, interests and remedies.

    The license agreement is available for review on this website, but I highly doubt that those that keep on and on about their “owner’s rights” will even remotely bother to look at it, much like they failed to bother with it before they clicked the “Ok” button on their PS3.

  • I don’t understand why these stupid individuals insist on stealing. Why don’t you idiots get jobs and actually work for the things that you want? Perhaps Sony should go the route of DRM like ubisoft did? Or start bricking hacked consoles? According to the PSN agreement, they are well within thier legal rights to do that. I totally support Sony in thier efforts; this crap needs to stop. The courts’ decision to support Sony’s actions was the beginning of the end for these moronic little hackers. They need to be severely punished.

  • Wow. In order to get Netflix to work I had to sign new PSN terms of service and then re-enter my Netflix email and password. I’m getting real sick of these constant useless updates, security patches, and [DELETED] for me to re-sign. Imagine if your insurance company, your ISP, or your bank made you re-sign your business agreement with them two or three times a year and the length of the documents kept doubling and doubling and getting more restrictive. And this [DELETED] thing said “Multiple OS” right on the box. Sony might as well just spit in my face. I’m slowly beginning to hate Sony’s [DELETED] guts.

    I’ll remember this when it’s time to buy a TV.

  • I tried to write this twice so I’ll keep my suggestion simple. The only feature I would personally ask Sony to consider allowing through an update that is possible only via CFW right now is full game installations to HDD and booting via HDD either internal or external. It would be a huge help and increase the life of the BR drive. Require all HDD installed games have the BR disc in the drive for validation at game launch. If Sony is leary of this idea due to piracy, disable the capability to do full install to HDD using .iso files.

  • It’s incredible how fast SONY is getting this matter fix while they don’t absolutely care to provide customer service to SONY PS3 owners (and also about other electronics).
    It would be nice for SONY to take really care about their customers and not just saying them “you have to replace your PS3!” like they did to me, without explanation.

    Owner of a Fat PS3 that can’t see anymore BluRays Movies (but incredibly can still use Blurays for games, how incredible is that SONY?)

  • I completely agree with stopping piracy. I don’t want PS3 to be hurt like PSP was by these thieves.

    However, I do have a PSP related question. Will this effect accounts that are active on PSPs with hacked firmware?

    Although I currently have official firmware, I have used custom firmware and other, older homebrew options in the past. While I enjoy features like homebrew software and carrying multiple backups of games (that I have made myself from games that I own), I also understand the importance of stopping these thieves. I don’t want to get my account banned if I ever go back.

    This probably won’t be read over on the 13th page but if it is, please respond.

  • How do you justify your statements. By hacking the ps3 does not by Proxy mean that we are going to cheat nor does it necessarily even mean that we are going to do anything that we werent already doing before hacks existed for it. Your statements declare that this will be used in order to cheat on the games, if I’m not mistaken people have cheated on the games since Day 1. For example Call of duty be it Modern Warfare 2 of Black Ops. Is constantly flooded with people who although their Ps3’s are not hacked are still running programs on the side allowing them to CHEAT on the game, giving them infinite health and various other UNFAIR advantages yet we Don’t see them getting banned. You declare that Ps3 “DOES EVERYTHING” Meanwhile with each new update something else gets taken away. What’s next are you going to remove the web browser? Or maybe you’ll remove It’s ability to play Blu-ray movies. In Sony’s statement upon trying to sue a Large number of people just for viewing a video, They stated that each Ps3 was Sony’s Property meaning that yea We bought our Ps3’s with our own money but they own it.. Sure they own the name but the individual systems are our own to do with what we will.

  • i have no idea about psp’s i think sony is more concerned about the ps3 itself right now. but if your not usin th epsn on the psp i would think you are good

  • We can use the Ps3 to make a camp fire We can turn it into a server and they have no right to tell us no to it. We bought it with our hard earned dollars, and they try to control us. And should they take this to court it will wind up being basically the same ruling they had with the iphone. They ruled that we reserve the right to do what we want with OUR equipment being it hacking rooting and whatnot. We accept the risks in voiding our warranties. You can look for yourself and you’ll see Not one single site has any programs of any sort Promoting the use or ability to cheat in online games or even offline games. AND if you also check you will see that in most of the CFW’s released they state a request that In applying CFW to your system You NOT use it in attempts to cheat on your games. Thank you to any who have taken the time to actually read. I hope you will understand from where I am coming from, and should sony see this and try to make a situation out of me expressing my freedom of speech then so be it.. Truth be told I like Sony for providing us with these great technologies but when things have been taken too far they Need to be addressed and matters have indeed been taken too far in this situation.

  • I bet sony’s going to use my idea and learn how to shake down the pirates for their money. To really stop piracy, you have to attack the wallet, make them spend for it. You wanna play single player, you hit start, “You must purchase a license to play this mode”. Price: $39. Pirate says fit it and tries to hop online to play multiplayer or d/l DLC, “You must purchase an Online Pass to play this content”. Price: $19.99. Now total that up… same price as retail. Make them eventually have to pay to use the backup! You can not tell me that isn’t genius.

    Cheaters will always find a way to cheat whether it’s with CFW or not, it’s happened already. It’s time to actually focus on responding to all of those complaints about them from 08 until now and not using cfw has the sole excuse it’s happening. Cheaters sole purpose is to find any way to cheat no matter the environment. Pirates aren’t the ones who use a different way to play their legit games, they distribute the games to others. You deal with that by making it harder to distribute.

  • Dear Sony,

    all we asked for was the OtherOS. Being a system developer myself, the
    OtherOS issue could had be fixed (you know your HTAB fault). And contrary
    your assumption, removing the OtherOS has not lead to a more secure system,
    quite the contrary is true, which was clear from the beginning. You now
    have to fight piracy, cheating, spending time fixing firmwares, spending
    money suing people, and so on. How does it feel? Is this a better solution?

    The one to blame is the team which has decided to remove the OtherOS.

    Next time listen to your engineers (i.e. cbe-oss-dev, . . . ) as well as
    some game developers, instead of leaving the decision to people not
    knowing anything about the culture. From talking with some of your
    developers, communication seems to be a problem within your company.

    Cheers,
    ProblemSolver

  • I understand where Sony is coming from. I followed the scene and watched the progress until the system was finally cracked. I noticed that for every 1 person claiming they just wanted “Homebrew” their were 30 others screaming for “Backup Loaders”. I also chuckled as ppl bricked their 2-400 dollar consoles with CFW no properly tested. Bottom line is all these people claiming that piracy isn’t hurting the game industry is wrong. Has anyone ever tuned into IGN? See all of the game companies merging, downsizing or becoming extinct altogether?

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