Console Modders Beware

[ImaGonnaGetYou]

A college student from Cal State Fullerton was arrested by federal agents on Monday by illegally running a home business of modifying Xbox, Playstation, Wii and other video game consoles to enable the machines to play pirated video games.



Matthew Lloyd Crippen was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for allegedly violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. According to NBC Los Angeles:



The college student is accused of modifying for personal financial gain technology affecting control or access to a copyrighted work. Each criminal count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charges against Crippen stem from an ICE investigation initiated late last year after the agency received a tip from the Entertainment Software Association.





Special Agent in Charge Robert Schoch, who heads the ICE investigations office in Los Angeles commented on the bust:



Playing with games in this way is not a game -- it is criminal. Piracy, counterfeiting and other intellectual property rights violations not only cost U.S. businesses jobs and billions of dollars a year in lost revenue, they can also pose significant health and safety risks to consumers.

Source/Sauce



It's a stupid claim to make when thousands more do the exact same things on larger scales, but he was using it for a profit, so more power to the law enforcement.



On a side note, having a modded console poses a serious health risk!

they can also pose significant health and safety risks to consumers.

The intelligence is astounding.

 

[Gokussj5okazu]

That is plum ridiculous. Sounds like to me they're just using that as a reason to target that guy. I know for a fact that it is NOT directly against the law to modify consoles for profit. This has been discussed countless times at Xbox-Scene. I, myself, used to modify consoles for profit back in the days of the original Xbox. That's actually where I started OkazuMods. Geesh. It's strictly up to the person who owns the modified console what they want to do with it. I mean, comeon, they can do sooo much more than play pirated games. My Xbox is a small computer in itself, running a Linux distro, Media Center, and a dumbed down version of Windows. This is like going after gun makers because the gun CAN be used for murder, despite it being useful for recreation and personal defense. *rolls eyes*

 

[Yodajammies]

I know for a fact that it is NOT directly against the law to modify consoles for profit.

hahahahhahahahhahahahahahhaha





*phew* Looks like someone hasn't read their EULA.

 

[Gokussj5okazu]

Perhaps is has been updated since my day, but as of about 2004, it was perfectly fine to modify peoples consoles, whether is was lighting, mod chips, ect. I know countless members on Xbox Scene that did this exact thing, and never once received any flak.



Going by that logic, I assume it's illegal for me to replace someone's broken 360 DVD drive, which requires the firmware to be flashed.

 

[the stig]

Being a console modder myself what exactly do you mean Goku?

Do you mean modifying the console itself just for looks and stuff, E.g, Adding fans, Lights, Watercoolers etc etc.

Or modifying the disk drive to allow pirated games to be played?



I do the latter but I believe what Kevin was talking about was focused on pirating games, Not the console modification itself.



Also... You can Pirate PS3?! Since when?

 

[macktheknife]

Oh boy, I could write pages on this right now, but I figure it's best to just have this sentence: It is NOT illegal to modify consoles UNLESS you use copyrighted code as a means to your end. If anyone wants a dissertation, I may work up the courage to write it out. Until then, that is a ridiculous story. He had to have been selling pirated games as well.

 

[Gokussj5okazu]

Being a console modder myself what exactly do you mean Goku?

Do you mean modifying the console itself just for looks and stuff, E.g, Adding fans, Lights, Watercoolers etc etc.

Or modifying the disk drive to allow pirated games to be played?



I do the latter but I believe what Kevin was talking about was focused on pirating games, Not the console modification itself.



Also... You can Pirate PS3?! Since when?

I was referring to old school mod chips as well as drive flashing. Neither are explicitly illegal, unless, like Mac said, you use copy-written coding.

Oh boy, I could write pages on this right now, but I figure it's best to just have this sentence: It is NOT illegal to modify consoles UNLESS you use copyrighted code as a means to your end. If anyone wants a dissertation, I may work up the courage to write it out. Until then, that is a ridiculous story. He had to have been selling pirated games as well.

Agreed, thank you.

 

[BenStreeper]

modification in and of itself is not illegal, the catcher is what you do with it. Ex: pirating software, using copywriten code, ect. and having done so for personal gain (which now by law does not have to be money). Microsoft has actually encouraged people to modify thier products, however they also discourage Piracy. I know it can lead to a double edge sword since most mods are aimed at piracy, but take all news as you will my fine sirs.