The hacker of Sony's Aibo, the robotic dog, has been sued by Sony in a novel way to address software hackers. The hacker, AiboPet, infringed on the robodog's brain design copyright by reverse engineering it.
The robodog brain's design is protected by the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) passed in 1998. The dog can dance, speak, bark, follow wireless instructions, and its software is not usable without Sony Hardware and software.
AiboPet, the hacker, has taught the dog a new dance, among other things. Sony demanded that he remove the software from his own site. That elicited a boycott of Sony products. Aibo owners support the hacker's efforts to help customize the dog.
