Sony in Class Action Law Suite????

[Jackal]

Got this in an email. It looks actually very legit. I won't be participating because it looks more like just spam mail.

An Important Notice from the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Mateo, United States and from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada, About a Class Action Settlement Involving the PS2

IF YOU OWN A PS2, YOU COULD GET BENEFITS FROM THE SETTLEMENT.

A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit concerning the performance of the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system ("PS2"). You may be a member of the Class whose rights may be affected by this lawsuit. The sole purpose of this notice is to inform you of the lawsuit so that you may decide what steps to take in relation to it.

If the settlement is approved, Class Members who complete and return a Claim Form, on or before February 16, 2006, may be eligible to receive settlement benefits. The claim form may be accessed at www.PS2Settlement.com or obtained from the PS2 Settlement Administrator, c/o Rust Consulting, Inc., PO Box 1784, Faribault MN 55021-1784.

Whether you are entitled to benefits will depend upon which subclass you are in. You may also choose to exclude yourself from the settlement. There are deadlines associated with the choices you may make regarding the settlement, and the last day to submit completed claim forms, to object to the settlement or to opt out is February 16, 2006. More information describing your rights under the settlement, as well as instructions for filing a claim may be accessed by contacting the Settlement Administrator. To contact the Settlement Administrator, please access the website at www.PS2Settlement.com, call toll-free 1-800-352-5331, or write PS2 Settlement Administrator, c/o Rust Consulting, Inc., PO Box 1784, Faribault MN 55021-1784.

Pour accéder au site Web du Règlement, cliquez sur le lien suivant: www.PS2Settlement.com.

[Freon]

Pour accéder au site Web du Règlement, cliquez sur le lien suivant
uh? :con:

It's true the state of california is suing Sony, but I don't think it was linked to PS2 :hmm:

[DeeperShade]

No, that email is bull.
The only class action suit currently going against sony is the state of cali, and it's over the DRM rootkit.

[DeeperShade]

And now for something completely different:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php

First, a baseline. When you buy a regular CD, you own it. You do not "license" it. You own it outright. You're allowed to do anything with it you like, so long as you don't violate one of the exclusive rights reserved to the copyright owner. So you can play the CD at your next dinner party (copyright owners get no rights over private performances), you can loan it to a friend (thanks to the "first sale" doctrine), or make a copy for use on your iPod (thanks to "fair use"). Every use that falls outside the limited exclusive rights of the copyright owner belongs to you, the owner of the CD.

Now compare that baseline with the world according to the Sony-BMG EULA, which applies to any digital copies you make of the music on the CD:

1. If your house gets burgled, you have to delete all your music from your laptop when you get home. That's because the EULA says that your rights to any copies terminate as soon as you no longer possess the original CD.

2. You can't keep your music on any computers at work. The EULA only gives you the right to put copies on a "personal home computer system owned by you."

3. If you move out of the country, you have to delete all your music. The EULA specifically forbids "export" outside the country where you reside.

4. You must install any and all updates, or else lose the music on your computer. The EULA immediately terminates if you fail to install any update. No more holding out on those hobble-ware downgrades masquerading as updates.

5. Sony-BMG can install and use backdoors in the copy protection software or media player to "enforce their rights" against you, at any time, without notice. And Sony-BMG disclaims any liability if this "self help" crashes your computer, exposes you to security risks, or any other harm.

6. The EULA says Sony-BMG will never be liable to you for more than $5.00. That's right, no matter what happens, you can't even get back what you paid for the CD.

7. If you file for bankruptcy, you have to delete all the music on your computer. Seriously.

8. You have no right to transfer the music on your computer, even along with the original CD.

9. Forget about using the music as a soundtrack for your latest family photo slideshow, or mash-ups, or sampling. The EULA forbids changing, altering, or make derivative works from the music on your computer.

[hyrulian]

Actually I have heard of a PS2 class-action lawsuit; I think HardOCP reported on that too.

[Agent_5]

http://www.gamespot.com/6139482?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6139482

Ruling on infamous "disc read error" issue could give qualifying PS2 owners $25, a free game, free repairs, or a replacement system.

[tool]

I've never had any problem with my PS2. If you are one of those people who insist on moving your PS2 around all the time, taking it to friends houses, etc.. then what do you expect? Of course the thing is going to eventually have problems. Its an expensive and complicated computer, not some water proof watch. This lawsuit is stupid.

Instead of sueing these people should ooh I don't know call Sony and have their PS2 fixed? They will do it for free even if it isnt under warranty.

[DeeperShade]

According the that game spot link, not everyone who's recieve the error message is elegable for the money, game or replacement. You have to be able to prove it and even then, the replacement system is at the discretion of SCEA.

[Iron Archer]

I wish I lived in a suite ;)

[totalloser]

I recived that notice on tje mail aboout a week ago, didn't pay much attention to it.

[Peavey]

I wish I lived in a suite ;)

Yeah, I wonder if Sony's headquarters is located in a first-class Action Law Suite