No it isn't.

PSN does not check if your games are pirated or not or if you own the PSN games...

and by the way... if you are pirating PSN games... PSN actually does think you own them.

What checks whether you own the game or not is your console.

That's why you don't have to be online to play PSN games.  Outside of Capcom.

Do you even own a PS3?

It checks firmware which would be impossible if the account wasn't link and the server wouldn't know if you brought the game so it would make it riddiculesly easy to pirate as oppossed to moderately difficult, and pcs measures for piracy preventure have been met with very limited results, so it's either open yourself up to hacking or open yourself up to piracy or open yourself up to cheats and exploits or any combination of the above, not to mention the issues with messaging and friends list even trophies, it's just not a good idea I don't get why you can't see something so obvious it barely works on an open system like pc it'd never work on a closed system 

Actually the PS3 does that automatically whenever it's online... and they know it, not by it's PSN ID... but by it's console number first and foremost.

Which they couldn't detect if they weren't using their servers... which means the only way to check anything and send messages and see your friends ect ect would be to link psn accounts to the server 
try to keep up 

Dude... don't be snotty when you don't understand the technical capabilities of what you are talking about.

Again, on Steam... you can check your friends list, cross game chat, all that shit... while playing in servers that are in fact... not connected to steam.  Steam accounts are not linked to every server you play games on.

Steam isn't a closed system you just don't understand that it would be impossible to do on ps3 like they do on pc you are just assuming it is based on well absolutely nothing 

In otherwords "i've run out of things I don't know about, and can't even make up a reason it wouldn't work anymore."

Do you even know the difference between an open and closed system?  The answer?  Open sysetms are open.  All PSN would need to do to be like steam... is to allow companies to use outside servers.

Cross game chatting and all that is done via an overlay and has nothing to do with PSN.  The only difference between PSN (and live) and Steam is PSN and Live refuse to let you go connect to servers without putting in an extra password, so that PSN and Live can keep it as a commodity.

Live so they can charge for it... and PSN so they have the option to charge for it in the future if they want.

That's the ONLY advantage of the closed system PSN and Live have, with many disadvantages.

Though you know.  That you can charge for online service isn't really an advantage for the consumer, or really anyone long term.

Not really I've been over this all already you just don't get it, yes all psn has to do to be like steam is to be like steam and be open as in Sony not getting the cut they are now from the store which is never going to happen psn store can't stay closed and have the servers open without creating piracy cheating and vunerability to hacks what about that don't you understand 

You do know... Steam gets a cut of sales in the steam store.

And no... you could still make PSN the only place to buy stuff, and have open servers.

I don't know why you think you couldn't.  The only one who doesn't understand is you... from a barebones technical point of view.

What decides what programs you can run on your PS3... is your PS3.  It had nothing to do with PSN.   You can have open servers, and still force everything to be bought at the PSN store.  Very eaisly.

This is like argueing evolution with a creationist who argues "I've never had a tail!"

I mean, you do realize PS3 has a web browser right?

Pick 1 store and generalize it for the statement made in the thread title seems a bit overboard. As I said: if they picked Game Mania and the likes...

besides, there's nothing else in Belgium aside from Antwerp (Gent is a fun distraction, nothing else :p)