Playstation 3 Jailbreak Sales Halted

   Sony has convinced an Australian Federal Court to issue an injunction against presales of the Playstation 3 Jailbreak mod which plugs into the PS3's USB port. Based on information released thus far, the Jailbreak allows the Playstation 3 to boot pirated software from a hard drive. Further information appears to indicate that the Playstation 3's normal boot process is interrupted and the software on the Jailbreak allows the Playstation 3 console to mimic the functionality of a development station PS3. An original Playstation 3 game is still required to load the games stored on the hard drive but the potential for rampant piracy allowed Sony to obtain the injunction. Three Australian modchip sellers were named in the injunction:

1) Quantronics
2) OzModChips.com
3) ModSupplier.com

   Although modchips are illegal in most parts of the world, they are legal in Australia. The injunction is in force until August 31. If the injunction is stayed, the PS3 Jailbreak will remain unavailable for sale.

   The Jailbreak website also lists resellers in Canada, Europe, and the United States. Modchips and copyright circumvention devices are illegal in the States and it is unclear if the US-based seller "Shop PS Jailbreak" is aware of the ramifications and legal liabilities of selling an outlawed product. Stay tuned for the drama to unfold.