No reverse engineering, no derivative works... blah blah blah.

If you violate the terms of this EULA Sony can require you to destroy all copies of the software.

Sounds like they're pretty hostile to anyone hacking the device.

Is that a standard set of clauses? Did the Librie' have similar clauses in its EULA? (I'm really asking, I don't have any idea :) ) They didn't seem to upset about the Librie' hacks....

Chances are that kind of boilerplate is in all Sony hardware product EULAs.

Is that a standard set of clauses? Did the Librie' have similar clauses in its EULA? (I'm really asking, I don't have any idea :) ) They didn't seem to upset about the Librie' hacks....

If there was an EULA, it was in Japanese. :D

Chances are that kind of boilerplate is in all Sony hardware product EULAs.

It's actually a very short, very simple EULA. It's on one of those pieces of paper you probably skipped when you unpacked your Reader.

Such EULA's have been found to be enforceable time after time in court.

It puts a new spin on what Sony could do if they decide enough is enough.

Such EULA's have been found to be enforceable time after time in court.

It puts a new spin on what Sony could do if they decide enough is enough.

Don't worry, probably only enforceable in the US. Oh, and how will they enforce it...? Come around and search you...? :blink: :D

It puts a new spin on what Sony could do if they decide enough is enough.
And what would they do then? Vaporize your Sony Reader? There is nothing Sony could (and neither should) do about what we are doing right now. In fact we are helping them to spread the word about the Reader.

The issue would be different if someone tried and published a way to circumvent Sony's BBeB DRM (Kinoma) protection.

The BBeB's DRM is Marlin, and I'm sure they would be quite unhappy about anyone breaking it.

Maybe I can get a reaction to the hacking done around here when they're in Austin at the Book Festival this weekend. :grin2:

Maybe I can get a reaction to the hacking done around here when they're in Austin at the Book Festival this weekend. :grin2:
Nat, maybe you should refer to our activities as "extending the functionality of the Reader". Sounds a lot less threatening. :indian_ch

The BBeB's DRM is Marlin, and I'm sure they would be quite unhappy about anyone breaking it.

Maybe I can get a reaction to the hacking done around here when they're in Austin at the Book Festival this weekend. :grin2:
If you get the chance, ask them when are they going to open prslabs.com and what will be up there. Would be nice if they published the whole FSK object model and tools to make your own plugins... well, a man can dream :D

If you get the chance, ask them when are they going to open prslabs.com ...

...or else we shall start igorsklabs.com!

:laugh4: You guys rock!

I already had the impression from the SD thing that they're not particularly threatened by efforts aimed at, um, "extending the functionality of the Reader." They didn't say as much, but I don't think it was something they could have said no matter how they wanted to. :shrug: There did seem to be recognition that the more the Reader can do, the better it looks to buyers, so I don't expect that they'll be too torqued about the whole thing.

Remember, they are probably as up on what's going on 'round here as I am, maybe more, since a lot of it goes swishing cleanly over my head. :uhoh:

I do think it's safe to say, however, that they'd be opposed to anything that would break the DRM, or prevent returning to the Factory OS, should the user wants to do that.

I do think it's safe to say, however, that they'd be opposed to anything that would break the DRM, or prevent returning to the Factory OS, should the user wants to do that.

I think if anybody "prevents returning to the Factory OS" it is SD itself because no official procedure of "returning to the Factory OS" is published.

DRM. I respect DRM. Let DRM respect me, my ownership rights on the reader and the books. If somebody (being inspired by his understanding of digital rights) prevented an owner of a reader and books on it to exercise the ownership rights
that prevention will be destroyed. Because of a big corporation is much much bigger then a men but smaller then a community.

DRM. I respect DRM. Let DRM respect me, my ownership rights on the reader and the books. If somebody (being inspired by his understanding of digital rights) prevented an owner of a reader and books on it to exercise the ownership rights
that prevention will be destroyed. Because of a big corporation is much much bigger then a men but smaller then a community.

Moreover, there is the argument of the xpdf guys: We respect fully DRM because, er, speaking of intellectual property rights, we expect you to respect fully GPL. Of course, the EULA violates GPL.

I think if anybody "prevents returning to the Factory OS" it is SD itself because no official procedure of "returning to the Factory OS" is published.I think that's what the hard-reset instructions (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8118) do .... :)

But you're correct in that they haven't widely published them.

I think that's what the hard-reset instructions (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8118) do .... :)


Hope so. Does it show Reader switched to recovery mode?

My Reader was last night 30 miles away so I can't try it myself.

I had to HR to get the Connect store to talk to mine, so I have tried it, but it was a while ago. I'm trying to remember ... I know it clears out your user (book) files ... and I'm pretty sure it did say something different on the screen, but I can't specifically recall what it was. :shrug:

I think that procedure only clears DRM registration files, and doesn't reflash any filesystems (where would it get the fs images?).

I think I'll trust your (much more informed) guess over my own on this, igorsk. :beam:

I think that procedure only clears DRM registration files, and doesn't reflash any filesystems (where would it get the fs images?).
Unless it had a backup flash or ROM. Depends on the hardware architecture, I guess. My co. uses Axis Etrax processors, which have a built-in recovery mechanism - you can force the processor into network or serial reflash modes by closing certain circuits. I don't know if there is a similar way of getting things to normal in the Reader, it wouldn't be too expensive to put something like a 16MB extra flash chip in there for full recovery to a known "original state"...

Unless it had a backup flash or ROM.
...it wouldn't too expensive to put something like a 16MB extra flash chip in there for full recovery to a known "original state"...

You can (I can't) test it - run restore and check if the changes in cramfs gone.

There is no EULA and I would not recognize any EULA if there was one. EULA's on my property are null on inception. This reader is hardware and my property. Period

NOW EULA's on software I DO recognize but ONLY in relation to IPR not PPR (IPR is Intellectual Property Right while PPR is Personal Property Rights)

IE I own this reader and I OWN the software on it Lock stock and bond for my own personal use.

EULA's do not apply as far as I am concerned until its NON personal IE I decide to sell it or release something to the public etc..

As for hacking. It simply means you can't use the sony connect software. The Hardware is yours to do with as you please.

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/