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Big Brother is listening (and grabbing): Sony's new PS3 ToS

October 21, 2008 in News comments 6

Sony recently changed their Terms of Service, which is always done to cover a companys' virtual butt from almost any possible scenario. But you get to listen to every word i'm saying and record it? Seems a little much...

Sony also has the right to keep records of anything you say or do online, or to simply listen in. "SCEA reserves the right to monitor and record any online activity and communication throughout PSN and you give SCEA your express consent to monitor and record your activities," the agreement reads. "Any data collected in this way, including the content of your communications, the time and location of your activities, your Online ID and IP address and other related information may be used by us to enforce this Agreement or protect the interests of SCEA, its users, or licensors." This is not the place to discuss your pirated copy of Resistance, in other words, or how you're planning on using custom firmware on your PSP.
bobbonew via arstechnica.com »
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  • 0
    huntyr Oct 21, 08
    This is pretty common for ISPs/networks. I'm not seeing the big deal. They record all your online activity and can monitor it. Thats just the way things are in the internetz era
  • 2
    bobbonew Oct 21, 08
    quote
    "To the extent permitted by law, You authorize and license SCEA a royalty free and perpetual right to use, distribute, copy, modify, display, and publish your User Material for any reason without any restrictions or payments to you or any third parties," Sony explains.
    That part really gets me though. If you create levels in Guitar Hero, Sony technically owns them. As more games come out with user submitted material, its pretty crazy that they could technically take and market your material. Its almost like Google Chrome stating they can take and own a lot of the things your doing online.
    • 0
      Daigoji_Gai Oct 22, 08
      When you use any mod tools, or games with user generated content you are agreeing to their terms of service and in many cases, you don't own the material you create with THEIR tools... not uncommon, you will find in many of the terms of service or end user agreements such stipulations allowing the company to use the works you create with THEIR tools.
  • 4
    Gutter_Tech Oct 21, 08
    welcome to the new digital world order.
  • 4
    Shadow of Death Oct 21, 08
    What bugs me, aside from the invasion of privacy (which worries me a bit), is that the whole LBP thing? You know how Media Molecule stated you could make some money (In the form of PSN $'s), if you made a popular enough level that they sold it?

    Yeah, now they don't have to pay you >_> Not if Sony has anything to say about it anyhow....
    • 1
      Daigoji_Gai Oct 22, 08
      That is a bit different, again it all comes down to what you agree to when you begin using their software/tools. Every game with user generated content has some stipulation or clarification regarding what you can do with things you create with the tools, who you can or can't distribute it to, whether you can or can't make a profit. You would be surprised what you will find in the terms of service and end user agreements of some of these titles.

      Nothing new, as Gutter said, welcome to the new digital world order. Laws are still trying to catch up with this new paradigm and companies are becoming savvier with protecting their IPs and what they allow people to do with their IPs.

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