Rumors, rumors

OK, Sony is not really on my good list right now. No presents for them this XMas. The whole DRM rootkit thing is just stupid evil and the apparent lack of a central online service for the PS3 is just evil stupid.

But c'mon people. Let's show a little restraint. Here is the etymology of an Internet rumor.

1. Sony patents a method to make media play only on the device it's first run on.

2. Once found, people email the large game blogs who report it ... but note "Does Sony plan to employ this technology in the PlayStation 3? Not likely. If so, PS3 owners would not be able to rent (used) games or borrow their friends’ games—or even purchase used games!"

3. Another site picks it up, reporting "The rumour goes that this will be used on the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Think about it for a minute. Would Sony be that stupid? "

4. It continues, only this time it goes to say, "Rumours on the Internet are that the PS3 is being designed so that each individual game Blu-Ray disc will be logged in each individual machine."

And then, you're pretty much off to the races. Blogs start citing each other as sources, most people kinda question it and then some just swallow it wholesale and the next thing you know you have entire forum thread complaining about how Sony won't let you rent any PS3 games because they are, in fact, Satan's lovechildcompanything.

People, Sony is a huge company with about a gajillion consumer products under their belt. These days it's better to patent stuff you don't even know about before someone else does. Actually connecting any of this information to the PlayStation 3 isn't even conjecture at this point, it's simply illogical.

Course, I never imagined any company would install a rootkit hack just to keep you from copying a song. So, who knows what the year will hold.