Slim PS3 update: mysterious Chinese firm issues a cease and desist... to Engadget
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted May 18th 2009 3:17PM
posted May 18th 2009 3:17PM
Dear Sir,
We just find that the following web pages on your website contain some
confidential document and photos, which were highly possibly illegally
released and posted:
(redacted)
We are investigating this violation and will bring all necessary legal
actions regarding this matter. In order to protect the confidential
information and prevent you from further legal issues and
infringements, please immediately remove those pages and keep our
request confidential. If you have any question regarding this issue,
please feel free to contact us.
Your cooperation is deeply appreciated.
Best regards
Who other than Sony would issue such a letter, unless it was a prank?
Conspiracy theory?
I'm betting it's a Chinese company/factory that's counterfeiting PS3s and is feeling nervous about all this coverage...."Keep our request confidential..." haha. If these pics were legit, Sony would either give a no comment or would be the authors of this letter.
This thing isn't even in legal language, either a hoax in itself or we have a case of a KIRF wanting privacy when they rip off someone.
Sony most likely isn't involved in the manufacturing of the device and probably subs it out. This letter is probably the Chinese manufacturer covering its ass so it doesn't get in trouble with Sony for pictures getting out.
@alex
There's also a good posibility that it's the company that makes the boxes, who is very likely to be a separate entity. They could be worried about losing their contract for having an employee leak the pics.
I'd much rather the slim PS3 to that monstrous atrocity they released, sans games, years ago.
Slim is much nicer.
AHAHAHA!!!!
Cina is getting peeved about IP theft...
AHAHAH I'll call you on your HiPhone to talk about it...
STFU AHHAAH
NUBS!!!
It's not even the right font, lol. No, 99.999% chance of this being fake. Probably some fake console. Hell, it probably even comes loaded with 27 of your favorite games including Pitfall! and Super Mario!
"It's not even the right font, lol."
But isn't that almost too obvious? Everytime I think that is indeed a dead giveaway I end up questioning myself. For example, if this really is a fake, why would they have the balls to use Sony's name, all their official PS logos, PSN logo, the Blu-Ray logo, etc... but then use a different font? Even the pink and green coverings in the background of the pictures match the setting of the actual PS3 assembly plant. It just almost seems too convenient that the font is wrong despite all the other details being correct.
No idiots, didn't you notice Sony changed its PS1 logo too when it was slimmed?
I think that this would be an awful lot of trouble for a company to go through to make a fake, especially since the whole reason companies make fakes is because they don't have the money to design their own stuff. Designing and fabricating a brand new enclosure isn't as easy as it seems.
kjb434 is the most intelligent poster in this thread.
Most likely this is a manufacturing or packaging firm contracted by Sony. Sony can sue their ass big time for this leakage, so they're trying to recover. Kind of a douche move on Engadget's part, but I also understand that once info hits the internet, it's public... there's no going back.
Legal issues with a Chinese company may not bother Engadget, but if Sony gets involved...BANZAI TOTSUGEKI!!! バンザイ突撃
Yep, a combination of the replies. Sony doesn't make much of its own stuff anymore... maybe *assemble* it, but not make it. So, some things that make this pretty much believable:
1. The font thing really isn't much of an issue, since the rest is correct. It's a new design, so why not a new font? The box looks legit enough with the rest of the appropriate logos and a design that looks like Sony could have done it, instead of a cheesy Chinese hack job, with tons of spelling/gramatical errors (and Chinese letters). None of the telltale signs of Chinese incompetence are on the box.
2. Chinese counterfeiters tend to copy or make things worse, not improve on a design. With things like a slot loading disc drive and usb ports, it's highly unlikely that this is a copy.
3. The backdrops look believable... if it were really a counterfeiter's factory, I doubt that they would use this many safety precautions.
4. The use of so many copy obviously copyrighted logos isn't what Chinese do, not on retail box art. One likeliness is risky, let alone three or four.
And it's about time Sony did a revamp of the huge/fugly PS3. They did it with the PS2 and PS1 (and somewhat with the PSP), so it's to be expected.
cease and desist or we will replicate you! www.enggadget.com
Andrew: Didn't you notice the PS2 didn't?
FIRST amendment rights.
HAHAHAHAHA Oh how I love it when they dont quite make it.
The First Amendment Rights that you are referring to only apply in the United States. From what I read, this is China/Japan we're talking here.
The 1st amendment doesn't apply in Japan. Besides, it may well be that Japan has laws to cover trade secrets that they feel they can use to threaten sites over there if they have to.
Can't say I would be happy AT ALL if I were this Chinese OEM, or Sony. But at the same time the pics are fascinating and really most right minded people would have suspected Sony of producing a slim anyway.
Damn I love it when people scream "FIRST amendment rights". Maybe you should read some law on it before you preach it.
The best is people crying about posts on websites and how it infringes on their rights for Engadget to delete them. People should do more legal research on issues instead of just reading a bumper sticker here and there.
Note the part where it said CHINESE company. Not AMERICAN company. See the difference there? No? Google.
Unless I missed something, AOL is an American company and is governed by American laws. First amendment is relevant. I can see you saying "omgz china" if AOL was in China, but just cause a Chinese company doesn't like something an American company is doing doesn't mean they can apply Chinese law to them.
@ Rocky - You're wrong my brother. Perfect example of an American company being sued by an International entity, is the EU suing Microsoft, for a hefty 1.35 billion fine. So do you think that no other country has it's own versions of copywrite law, or amendment rights regarding free speech and fair use?
Of course Sony wouldn't come after Engadget or any of the other web sites that published the pics, only unless there was some foul play involved. But more than likely Sony will hold the company that is producing the materials liable for any forseeable damages (that's IF this story isn't a hoax).
what a tool
Well that's good news. This PS3 Slim looks sick. Hopefully other goodies besides a new design come as well.
Sick in a bad way, yes. I would still choose this over the original, though. Just because it really is quite slim.
wtf?
Well aren't you badass, Engadget!
Do they know who they're messing with?
Apparently, they don't.
Engadget is powerful. Engadget pwned T-mobile. Engadget will do it again.
engadget owned monster cables too when their review summary was on their site
engadget pwned and used Monster's own cables to strangle it
Engadget is the Chuck Norris of blogs.
Engadget is the most interesting blog in the world. They once punched a magician- you heard me.
:O
LMAO @ china asking people to cease and desist
that place is the den of copyright infringement and stealing
hey, careful what you say now. you say it like its a bad thing :)
That's because all Chinese are the same right? No Chinese company (or person) deserves to uphold their rights because there are other companies in the same country that dont have morals.
*sighs at ignorance*
@Kei
China is where almost all of the copies of technology come from all the way down to rebranding memory and selling it as counterfeit. Some companies might be good, but don't be stupid and assume that China is good except for a few bad apples. It is much more the other way around. There will always be exceptions so it's moot to say "well, some are good".
It´s no surprise that most counterfeit are made in China as almost of all originals are made in China as well.. Did you look at the labels of your iPod, netbook, Roomba or any other recent electronic gadget?
Q: Why is mostly companies from china that make counterfeit items?
A. As thay are the only ones that can fabricate those items at a cost so low that after transporting it to the other side of the world it´s still dirt cheap. It´s not a question of moral, if a US (or European) company is be able to do it they will do it as well.
"...keep our request confidential."
LMAO! Yeah right.
haha, I know, really :D :P
Ha ha yeah right. They contacted a company who is based in the US, regardless if the contacted the office in Japan. It's owned by AOL/Time Warner and everyone knows what happens when you fuck with Time Warner.
hmmmm....well if that really is the PS3 "slim", I don't think it's very impressive in the looks department.
but that letter is funny all the same as its legitimacy is questionable and even if its not, well, see above...
I agree. To me the new case kind of looks cheap. IDK we shall see what it really looks like at E3
yummm legal threats are so tasty, yet so empty.
Reverse psychology?
I don't believe the First Amendment comes in to play, when someone is trying to keep information from someone. As in Sony is trying to keep the news about it PRIVATE.
Ah, so sorry that the FIRST POST camouflage worked on you. Granted, the poster missed being first, but all the more reason to ridicule.
If they were official product photos that were owned by Sony or the manufacturing company then you could legally be asked to take them down. I suspect some of those photos are from factory documentation, so there may be a legal violation.
Anyway, this is between a Chinese factory and a Japanese blog, the First Amendment doesn't really apply...
@dtwhite
The chinese firm making a fake playstation 3 maybe. Or someone that likes a good joke. Could be anyone including Sony.
You know there's a great thing called a reply button...
Don't bother paying attention to the C&D. They're (1) out of our jurisdiction and (2) their own government's not going to take them seriously. They don't even care about fake Rolls Royces they're manufacturing.
pretty sure Engadget already knows that since they are posting the C&D letter up along with the pictures ;)
Unless the C&D is filed in a court of jurisdiction by the company. Of course the bigger question, where exactly is an internet blog based? The server it's held at? One of Engadget's offices? It may not be the same place?
I would guess it is where the company is based. In Engadget's case, I believe that would be in Dulles, Va because that is where AOL HQ is.
Perhaps you should also clear everyone in the worlds cache too, just in case someone remembers what those grainy photos look like... Heck send Engadget better pictures and these will disappear I am sure, until then they are possibly intellectual property of Engadget unless they could be proven to be owned by someone else, if thats proven then thats an even bigger cat was let out of the bag for them. Perhaps they should find their leak instead...
:)
So which Chinese company sent the letter? The same one that assembles the PS3? Does it not specify or can you not say for some reason?
But you were supposed to keep their request confidential Engadget! oh noes!
Still doesn't answer the important questions... How much cheaper will it be? (if at all) What are we losing with the slim version?... Of course I already have a PS3 so oh well.
could be the company building the units for Sony, which could get in trouble with Sony if they don't take action to get the photos removed first..
The chinese firm making a fake playstation 3 maybe. Or someone that likes a good joke. Could be anyone including Sony.
HAHAHAHA!!!
Oh...wait...oh yes: HAHAHAHA!!
So the chinese company is making these but an employee released pics and sony has gone mental is basically how I under stand it.
Funny thing is Engadget neither a "ceased and desisted" nor kept "our
request confidential". Nilay must be on vaca.
So which part of "keep our request confidential" didn't you understand Engadget?!
My god, the hutzpa of you people!
;-)
Oooooooh, scary!
Could even be Sony competition! Google says that, for example, a LOT of their DMCA takedown notices ACTUALLY come from COMPETING companies and not the original owners of the content.
"...keep our request confidential."
Whoops. heh.
was the letter from maintek???
I hope to realize that they are free to change the logo when they go from fat to slim. Look at the original PlayStation.
*sigh* Move along, no slim ps3 here... even the logo is wrong!
I suppose slim is nice. If only it had backwards compatibility.
it's a counterfeit prototype matte black PS3 like case which actually houses a laptop.
anything's possible these days.
"highly possibly illegally"
These guys really like their adverbs.
Josh said in the post that the letter was sent to Engadget Japan from a Chinese company, so the English text we see is most likely machine translation. You can't expect perfect grammar from that.
sony owns ps3 and the one who emailed engadget isnt sony. engadget wouldnt just obey every cease order given by miscellaneous chinese company. lets say its a chinese company contracted by sony to build this thing, tough luck, sanction your employees, its already on the net, nothing confidential anymore.
KIRF!
I'm with the totally fake / counterfeit camp. Even though the pics are bad, the quality of the plastic/mold really makes this look like a fake, the ps3 logo in the plastic just isn't right, and in general just fake to me. This is no slim PS3, it's KIRF.
Hey Engadget,
You noticed that the takedown request came from a Gmail account, right?
Thats not a slim PS3. Chuck Norris was playing Halo on his PS3 (He CAN do that) and the damn thing got stuck. Ladies and Gentlemen , You're looking at the first round house kicked PS3 in this universe.
Lol no way. it wouldve been flying into the sun by now
You would THINK so. But it already has. Twice
Maybe this is another one of those like fake iphone or imitators like Meizu phone? They got busted for trying to make a fake PS3? 'Cause that is one fugly looking PS3.
No, it's a real PS3. There are far too many details in the photographs for any faker to have bothered with. I don't know why you think it ugly either when its also obvious from the snaps that its just parts of the case before assembly. The assembled version is likely to have a square profile from above and about 2/3 the height of the old model with a finish similar to the existing models. All the information is easy to infer from the pics.
I'd like one!
I just started dancing!!!!
its not from sony but probly the manufacturer which the photos take place in (cuz they're probly just from some 2 factory workers with a wild hair up their ass) & this way sony can keep their name out of the mix so that nobody thinks its real, and then ppl are like "nah man its bs" & then @ E3 their like "BITCHES!!!!"
Meh. I don't care if the size of the thing gets cut in half; I can't even consider one until the price gets that kind of treatment.
agreeing with everyone else, Unless they can send proof that it is their product and property, they are not making a case.
I am done with Sony as a whole. I have been loyal to them up until now. My PS3 just died today and the customer support people want me to pay 150 bucks! I have not even had the system for 2 years and this is how Sony treats a long standing customer. I can not stand XBox 360, but at least they have the decency to fix malfunctioning hardware for free. I guess I am making the big switch after over 10 years with Sony. I hope one day Sony fixes their flawed customer service. :(
I'm sorry you're one of the 2% of the console failures (that is well within electronic's standards), microsoft is the only company so far that has been forced by the public to extend their warranty because of their failure rate... the free fixes are only because of MS's failures.
@ Matt
Last I checked Nintendo and SEGA used to fix any of their console for free.
Let me guess, blu-ray drive died? That happened to me twice in a matter of months, and I rarely even play my PS3.
Was it dead Blu-ray drive or dead power supply?
Microsoft does not fix all 360s for free, only for one particular problem. I had the optical drive in my 360 die and MS wanted over $100 to fix it.
I'm sorry your PS3 died, but the 360 is no picnic either.
it looks fake, could be that they have a fake version that's just about to be released and you spoiled it for them...
either way I prefer the monolith of the older PS3 than that design. If they are keeping that one, they better go back to the drawing board and redo it!
One of the major downsides of outsourcing to China. They can't keep quite and weak the shit out of everything. Looked from a company pow. Still funny though :)
I wish they would work on a price cut first, then PSN, then games, then maybe a redesign.
Fake pics followed by fake C&D letters.
Cool
Slimmer mean that there is greater value to the customer, which mean that there'll be no price cut according to Sony's broken logic.