5w ago - Today Sony has announced news of a PSN-SOE Canada class action lawsuit settlement for Canadian users affected by the PlayStation Network hacking that took place back in 2011.

Below are the details, to quote: PSN-SOE Canada Settlement

LEGAL NOTICE

If you had a PlayStation Network account, a Qriocity account, or a Sony Online Entertainment account at any time before May 15, 2011, you could get benefits from a class action settlement.

A settlement has been reached with the Sony Entities in a class action lawsuit about the illegal and unauthorized attacks in April of 2011 on the computer network systems used to provide the PlayStation Network ("PSN"), Qriocity, and Sony Online Entertainment ("SOE") services (the "Intrusions"). The settlement provides benefits to eligible Canadian consumers who file a valid claim.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice will have a hearing to decide whether to give final approval to the settlement, so that the benefits can be issued. The included consumers have legal rights and options, such as excluding themselves from the settlement, or alternatively, objecting to and/or submitting a claim for benefits from the settlement....

60w ago - This weekend a patent infringement claim lawsuit was filed against Sony and Apple over the technology used in their data vending systems for PlayStation Network (PSN) and the iTunes system.

To quote from the official Press Release: PALO ALTO, Calif. - The inventor of technology used in data vending systems such as the iTunes and Playstation Network systems has sued Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc. (NYSE: APPL) and Foster City, Calif.-based Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (NYSE: SNE) for patent infringement.

Inventor Benjamin Grobler is represented by intellectual property attorneys Christopher Banys and Richard C. Lin from the Palo Alto, Calif., office of The Lanier Law Firm. The lawsuits filed March on 27, 2012, allege that Apple and Sony are infringing U.S. Patent No. 6,799,084.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued the ‘084 patent to Mr. Grobler in 2004. The patent covers data vending systems that allow users to store and manage digital music, video, software and other items on a variety of electronic devices.

According to the lawsuit, Apple and Sony have infringed the patent by making and offering infringing data vending systems such as iTunes and the Playstation Network, and that the companies are inducing their customers’ infringement by...

108w ago - As a follow-up to yesterday's Q&A #1 comes part two from Sony's Senior Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media Patrick Seybold, as follows:

Yesterday, we addressed a number of your questions relating to the malicious intrusion into our network. You can find that FAQ here. As we get closer to restoration of service, here are more answers to your questions, many of which are more gaming related:

Q: Will our download history/friends list/settings be affected by the PSN downtime?
A: No, they will not.

Q: Will trophies that were earned in single-player offline games during the outage be intact when the service resumes?
A: These trophies are intact and will be re-synched when the network is once again operational.

Q: Will my PS+ cloud saves be retrievable?
A: Yes, once PSN is restored.

Q: What if we have a subscription to PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms? Will we get compensation for that?
A: From Sony Online Entertainment: "We apologize for any inconvenience players may have experienced as a result of the recent service interruption....

108w ago - Sony's Senior Director Patrick Seybold of Corporate Communications & Social Media has made available Q&A #1 for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Services today.

To quote: First off, we want to again thank you for your patience. We know that the PlayStation Network and Qriocity outage has been frustrating for you. We know you are upset, and so we are taking steps to make our services safer and more secure than ever before. We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this outage has caused, and rest assured that we're going to get the services back online as quickly as we can.

We received a number of questions and comments yesterday and early today relating to the criminal intrusion into our network. We'd like to address some of the most common questions today.

We are also going to continue to post updates to this blog with any additional information and insight that we can over the next few days.

We are reading your comments. We are listening to your suggestions. Please keep them coming.

Thank you.

Q: Are you working with law enforcement on this matter?
A: Yes, we are currently working with law enforcement on this matter as well as a recognized technology security firm to conduct a complete investigation. This...

108w ago - Update #2: MCST.ca has reported that Canadian Natasha Maksimovic has also filed suit (PDF) against Sony via McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP for the recent PSN security breach.

Update: MSNBC now reports that Sony's database may already be on sale in an online bazaar, stating that that low-level cybercriminals using "carder" online forums were offering to sell a database of 2.2 million credit-card numbers taken during the PlayStation Network breach.

As a result of yesterday's confirmation from Sony that PSN account information has been compromised, today class action lawsuits are forming against the corporation despite a T&C disagreement that states Sony is not liable for loss of data.

To quote: "We exclude all liability...