Federal Agents Go After Gaming Pirates: Several US Modchip Stores Raid Options

[Black Sheep]

Whew...good to know murderers, pedophiles, drug dealers, corrupt politicians, etc. can all sleep soundly, knowing the feds are using their resources going after the REAL criminals.

What's extremely odd to me is who exactly is the victim of this "crime" anyway? If this was about software piracy, then the victims would be the software publishers and creators, but since they're targetting "chips", then who is claiming the loss? Is this a joint-suit, or an independant orginazation that's going to reap the "loss recovery" that hasn't necessarily occured?

[MECKANIK]

Wow thats not good. From now on NO HABLA Nothing. .

[mp5user]

MN??? That's were I am (yeah 6 dead from I-35W bridge.) Llama was probably a target, I hope they make out okay. Is a matter of criminal or civil law, or both?

This post has been edited by mp5user: Aug 2 2007, 02:59 AM

[Lush]

its great to live in canada... we don't care about copyrights and piracy here... =)

[evans112682]

MN??? That's were I am (yeah 6 dead from I-35W bridge.) Llama was probably a target, I hope they make out okay. Is a matter of criminal or civil law, or both?

Llamma may have been, though they dont sell chips on there website. i odered a case, smds, and other junk tuseday night and have heard nothing from them today (wednesday). i ordered just a week ago and they answer all my email, and today no response on my order or emails (even tried calling)....???????? hope alls okay, just spent $90.00 bucks. never bought a chip, just want my order!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we should list shops we think are hit (the feds wont). whats the harm if the damage is done?

This post has been edited by evans112682: Aug 2 2007, 03:27 AM

[Altima NEO]

From the sounds of that other newspost, it seems Nintendo was likely behind all the pressure on the feds.

[evans112682]

"Illicit devices like the ones targeted today are created with one purpose in mind, subverting copyright protections,"

think this includes the sammy dvd drive, connectivity kits, and blaster, etc???

[gordo1111]

its great to live in canada... we don't care about copyrights and piracy here... =)

Marijuana too but I don't smoke. The FBI could come too Canada too. Gotta make my xbox stock again.

This post has been edited by gordo1111: Aug 2 2007, 03:56 AM

[twistedsymphony]

From the sounds of that other newspost, it seems Nintendo was likely behind all the pressure on the feds.

I can confirm that 4 installers I've spoken too who got hit were all hit after servicing a Wii. I can also confirm that these same shops DO NOT sell pirated games.

reading the ICE press release they make a point to say that these devices are being "smuggled" into the USA.

for those that don't know Wii modchips are nothing more than microcontrollers... Atmel and Microchip both have American branches and sell products in the USA, they're nothing but MCUs found in everyday items from TV remotes to RC cars to computers and other consumer electronics.

the code doesn't include any pirated material it was written by someone and in most cases is either not copywritten at all or protected under the GPL meaning it's freely distributed. The rest of the chip is just a harmless wafer of silicone and copper and all the installers are doing is attaching these individually legal components to the console.

A micro controller is no more a copyright circumvention device as a laptop is...

I really hope that these shops band together and take this all the way to the courts.

Just because something is a law doesn't mean it's right and the court system is the place where bad laws can be found unconstitutional.

The only questionable component of a modchip is the code and IMO code should be protected under freespeach.

I agree with those that mentioned the US government needs to stop listening to special interest lobbiests.... they seem to be shitting all over the technology liberties and dramatically damaging advances in technology in the process. I don't know what's worse the souless lobbiests and corporations that push this stuff into law, the ignorant politicians that are bought off so easily, or the apathetic citizens who are oblivious to what's going on and waste their time battling issues of gay marriage, the use of the word "God" in the pledge of allegiance, and other truly meaningless crap while the rest of our freedoms are taken out back an executed one by one.

[appleguru]

Yes, OTB Mods was included in the raids. I'm out of the country atm, so I wasn't around for the raid... but it sounds like they took everything. Fun fun fun. It's going to be an interesting few months here... (and for the record, for now anyways, no charges have been brought against me.. they're just gathering evidence.)

I should have seen the writing on the wall... But alas, hindsight is 20/20.

[pirichios]

I can confirm that 4 installers I've spoken too who got hit were all hit after servicing a Wii. I can also confirm that these same shops DO NOT sell pirated games.

reading the ICE press release they make a point to say that these devices are being "smuggled" into the USA.

for those that don't know Wii modchips are nothing more than microcontrollers... Atmel and Microchip both have American branches and sell products in the USA, they're nothing but MCUs found in everyday items from TV remotes to RC cars to computers and other consumer electronics.

the code doesn't include any pirated material it was written by someone and in most cases is either not copywritten at all or protected under the GPL meaning it's freely distributed. The rest of the chip is just a harmless wafer of silicone and copper and all the installers are doing is attaching these individually legal components to the console.

A micro controller is no more a copyright circumvention device as a laptop is...

I really hope that these shops band together and take this all the way to the courts.

Just because something is a law doesn't mean it's right and the court system is the place where bad laws can be found unconstitutional.

The only questionable component of a modchip is the code and IMO code should be protected under freespeach.

I agree with those that mentioned the US government needs to stop listening to special interest lobbiests.... they seem to be shitting all over the technology liberties and dramatically damaging advances in technology in the process. I don't know what's worse the souless lobbiests and corporations that push this stuff into law, the ignorant politicians that are bought off so easily, or the apathetic citizens who are oblivious to what's going on and waste their time battling issues of gay marriage, the use of the word "God" in the pledge of allegiance, and other truly meaningless crap while the rest of our freedoms are taken out back an executed one by one.

the problem is finding a lawyer thats informed and educated as you are twisted. if these shops had one they would kick ass in court

[MicroMods]

its great to live in canada... we don't care about copyrights and piracy here... =)

No one gives a shit. Sorry to be blunt, but this is about the US. No one cares about Canada or how you can't get in trouble for modding your box. The same goes for anyone else typing "well, atleast I live in [random country]". You're not contributing to this thread and as the first sentence bluntly states, no one gives a shit.

That being said, what's happened today has struck me as weird in a few different ways. Considering the original Xbox is the majority of the Modchip/Homebrew scene, why was the raid timed now? Why not while the Xbox was in it's "prime"? I'm thinking it's to scare off R&D and sales on other consoles.

The other thing that strikes me weird is, from what I've always understood modchips are absolutely and completely LEGAL. It isn't until you flash the BIOS (that's not included) that makes it illegal. It seems like the rules were changed on-the-fly just because the DMCA has more holes in it than a block of swiss cheese.

If you're as unhappy about this as I am, let's fight it. Don't let these people try and scare you and trample on your rights. Let's get the community together and those affected by this and let's fight it.

[decline1822]

Honestly, if this was all about modding the Wii, I can see why they did it.

There really is no good reason to mod a Wii unless you want to pirate games. There isn't any homebrew for the wii or anything (you can boot Gamecube homebrew, but who cares about that?)

[MicroMods]

Honestly, if this was all about modding the Wii, I can see why they did it.

There really is no good reason to mod a Wii unless you want to pirate games. There isn't any homebrew for the wii or anything (you can boot Gamecube homebrew, but who cares about that?)

Your logic is flawed, you're giving these people (if you're nice enough to call them that) room to do what they please.

Just BECAUSE you can run pirated games on it does not mean that's what it's used for. This is like saying it's okay to arrest someone because they have a gun and could POSSIBLY use it in a harmful manner. As far as I remember, there was no homebrew scene when the Enigmah was released on the Xbox either. It was used solely for "backed-up" games. It wasn't until the technology hit and was used by more that it caught on and the homebrew scene was born.

We have the right to do whatever we want with OUR electronic items, and if people won't stand up and fight for their rights than they deserve to be bullied around. I however, wont. These people and the laws they write are traitors and enemies of democracy and all that this country is "for". Don't let them hold you on a leash.

This post has been edited by MicroMods: Aug 2 2007, 05:12 AM

[itchy]

Honestly, if this was all about modding the Wii, I can see why they did it.

There really is no good reason to mod a Wii unless you want to pirate games. There isn't any homebrew for the wii or anything (you can boot Gamecube homebrew, but who cares about that?)

Yup, it's a little flawed. Nintendo's more geared for younger kids than the other consoles. Younger kids are more likely to damage discs during handling. Smart parents would get those consoles modded and give their kid the game on a 20 cent media, vs $40 disc.