PS3 hacker raises at least $10k in legal fees via donations

George Hotz, the man Sony is currently attempting to sue regarding his circumvention of PS3 security measures, has raised legal fees for his defence via online donations.

Hotz yesterday requested funds from the public, claiming that "I want, by the time this goes to trial, to have Sony facing some of the hardest hitting lawyers in the business."

Within the space of a day, he had closed down the appeal and felt that "things are looking up money-wise. Expect to see a few more lawyers on my responses."

Hotz also reiterated that his intent in hacking the console was not related to copyright infringement. "I am an advocate against mass piracy, do not distribute anyone's copyrighted work but my own, do not take crap lying down, and am even pro DRM in a sense.

"For example, I believe Apple has every right to lock down their iPhone in the factory as much as they want, but once it's paid for and mine, I have the right to unlock it, smash it, jailbreak it, look at it, and hack on it. Fortunately, the courts agree with me on this point."

In the event Sony were to attempt to settle with Hotz, he argued that "I want the settlement terms to include OtherOS on all PS3s and an apology on the PlayStation blog for ever removing it."

Hotz also claimed that "I have already racked up over 10k in legal bills" and that any surplus in donations would be given to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.