Hacker tries to patch it up with Sony over disco dog

NEWS A robotic dog enthusiast accused of violating Sony's copyright on its Aibo toy with his dancing dog software says he is certain negotiations are moving towards a compromise. The hacker, known as Aibopet, published software code on his website, aibopet.com, which allows Sony's robo dog Aibo to dance to music, but Sony threatened legal action against the hacker saying he had violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by manipulating Aibo's communication settings. Sony demanded he remove the software information from his site. A message on aibopet.com reads: "During the protest and negotiation phase, the Aibo part of my site remains closed." Aibo fans are reacting angrily to Sony's interference. One fan attached a message to Sony's Aibo bulletin board saying Aibopet's software actually added value to the £1,000 product that would otherwise lose the interest of gadget lovers.