Illeagal Australian Modchip But.., is it illeagal to run gamesave.. Options

[LePerla]

Now modchips have become illeagal in australia is it alright to flash it with a gamesave / font etc exploit and then install a legal cromwell bios?

[rjm2k]

QUOTE (LePerla @ Aug 1 2003, 09:04 AM)

Now modchips have become illeagal in australia is it alright to flash it with a gamesave / font etc exploit and then install a legal cromwell bios?

Remember that this case was about specific mod-chips for a specific console and they allowed you to run backups (which in itself isn't necessarily illegal).

I don't know about ps2 modchips but Xbox modchips are basically off the shelf components (well, at least cheapmod was) which have many other uses and can't be made illegal. Any xbox (or other console) modchip which comes with a hacked copyrighted bios is illegal and probably already was so in Australia even before this ruling.

It's all very grey, but at the end of the day you can probably do whatever you like with your console/bios provided you own a copy. Many constitutions allow you to make backups and even amend software you own in order to make it run on different hardware. Anyone selling/providing a hacked bios could be in trouble.

[blackout_19]

Most people see the term 'modchip' to mean hacked bios that allows you to play copied games.

The fact is that the hardware is not illegal. It is the hacked Micro$oft bios which is illegal.

As long as you are not circumventing copyright protection there is not a problem. Therefore, to modify your console to run linux is not illegal as long as it uses the cromwell bios.

[Terrorbyte]

Typical of Australia to take steps to outright ban "videogame" products of questionable nature. They've banned the Grand Theft Auto series games among others, so I was not surprised to hear about the ban on console modchips.

BTW, hasn't M$ completely stopped selling/distrubuting XBOXes in Australia anyway?

[scapegoat]

No, MS still sells Xbox hardware and software here in Australia. About 6 months ago there were rumors of MS pulling out if the government didn't amend the laws to ban modchips, but MS didn't do anything.

As for the GTA series, you can still buy them here except in the Australian version you can't pick up hookers.
We really need an 18+ rating for video games, but the government won't pass it

[talkingwires]

QUOTE (scapegoat @ Aug 1 2003, 09:55 AM)

As for the GTA series, you can still buy them here except in the Australian version you can't pick up hookers. We really need an 18+ rating for video games, but the government won't pass it

Why is everyone so up in arms about that one part of the game? It's not like it's the main emphasis of GTA. Hell, I didn't even know you could do it until a friend told me. And it's not like you actually see any sex stuff. DOA Volleyball has more sexual content than GTA!

Don't politicians have anything better to do?

[scapegoat]

The censorship board didn't like the fact that you can beat up and kill the hookers after you have had sex with them, as they considered this sexual violence