Student Arrested for Modifying Consoles

[ossie]

Legislative and executive powers are corporate sponsorships (even if they're all running on taxpayers' money), so DHS (funny name, isn't it?) is just executing it's true masters' orders.
To serve and protect... guess who

 

[eldesconocido]

There is a guy doing consoles modifications on every corner of the city I live... which is a very nice thing for my economy.

 

[NuclearShadow]

How could they even do this? A physical thing such as a console is owned be the consumer that bought it. Its not like the act itself is piracy of any kind. This would be like arresting my two year old son for taking a crayon to one of his Dr. Seuss books because he modified it.

 

[megamanx00]

Who the heck thought the DMCA was such a good idea? Those people should be flogged. Anyway I think it's wrong. The user is the one who bought the system so what they do with it and who they have modify it is their business. The guy who modified it isn't being charged with stealing games, just making it easier for other people to do so. That's kinda like saying you're going to arrest the guy who modified your car so it's easier to break the speed limit, rather than punishing the driver who breaks the speed limit.

 

[livefree]

And just think, Microsoft sells its Office Suite in China, the holy mecca of piracy, for $29. Here in the USA, Microsoft charges $150. Is there something wrong here?

http/tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090721/tc_pcworld/ifchinagetsmicrosoftofficefor29whydontwe

 

[the associate]

Hey if you all think hat's stupid, the canadian gouv wanted to pass a bill where basically "owning" an unlocked cell phone or modified hardware would be an offense punishable by ridiculously over exaggerated fines and/or jail time.
For those who care...read below

http/www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3025/125/

comments are worth a quick look to

 

[yao]

Geez, I didn't know homeland security do that.

 

[sceen311]

[citation][nom]Blessedman[/nom]Doesn't make a lot of sense... Maybe I am just confused about what they are actually jailing him for. I can't modify something I own? It's not like he was violating copyright laws, he was just allowing someone else to.[/citation]

I think the point here is that they weren't his machines, and he was doing it for profit. He's making money helping other people avoid paying for use of other peoples intellectual property. I understand this is confusing for people who don't have any type of intellectual property.

So how about a locksmith unlocks your door so people could steal your stuff. You don't think the locksmith is doing anything wrong?... Really?.... Seriously?...

Here Educate yourself:
Section 103 of the DMCA adds a new chapter 12 to Title 17 of the U.S. Code. New section 1201 implements the obligation to provide adequate and effective protection against circumvention of technological measures used by copyright owners to protect their works.

From: http/www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

Clearly he's in violation.

 

[soky602]

[citation][nom]redgarl[/nom]Ten years... for ripping off MS... shouldn't we all being in jail?[/citation]
Some of us has to be around to buy their stuff, bust one scare the others.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, funny how other nations like China pirate, steal, and hack our stuff and nothing ever gets done about it. The most we do is a "Don't do that again next time ok." and it never ends. Not only that but then people like Microsoft then give them $19 a copy MS office deals, although everyone claims they are so poor, could have fooled me when it seem all the time I a reading about average students paying thousands of US dollars to cheat on tests in school but can pay for a copy of Office? Whatever it is all a big lie. I can't believe however our own citizens, while this is wrong could face ten years in prisons and fines while people of others countries get waved on and pampered as the result. What has our country come to. How about we focus on countries that are causing billions in losses if you want to get down to it or we boycott their stuff.

 

[Guest]

This is communism. Console is one’s private property, and as such the owner is entitled to modify his console in any way. Jailbreaking the console does not prove yet that someone is using “illegal” copy of a game. The fact that someone has a gun does not prove that he is a murderer. This is all communistic way of thinking - everyone is suspect and private property does not exist. It is a damned corporate form of communism.

And for all we know, these kids just wanted their consoles to play homebrew/backup games or games that can only be purchased in other countries that are region locked. We can’t know if they intended to run pirated games. This isn’t the Minority Report. And either way, if the consoles are being used for pirated content, you should go after whoever is running said pirated content. Otherwise, you might as well target Gamestop and Wal-Mart for selling consoles to people with the intent to use them for malicious, evil activities.

it is indeed a strange realization to know that the things you’ve paid for and presume to own are actually still under jurisdiction of someone else…then again, how often does anyone question the notion that to get married you need a permit (government permission), you can “own” a car, but not operate it until licensed, thus nullifying ownership until you relinquish your ownership to government control. We have never lived in a free society,

 

[Guest]

BS, If you buy a console you can modify it with what you want, if you write your own OS, you can load it on any device you own. How do you think Microsoft and those Linux and and and started. Were they jailed for loading other OS/modified/stolen stuff on a machine that came with a different OS than their? The only reason is that he sold pirate games/software otherwise the goverment should stuff off.

 

[bpogdowz]

Dip sh*t

 

[jamesedgeuk2000]

wow, i had no idea this was illigal in the US, very happy im british right now lol

 

[maigo]

The DMCA is a federal law, if he didn't charge anything, it would be legal

Dumbass

 

[ainarssems]

So what's next? If I put aftermarket ECU in my car or remove speed limiter or flash different fuel/ignition map and do it for others charging money for it I am going to jail?

 

[astrodudepsu]

[citation][nom]ainarssems[/nom]So what's next? If I put aftermarket ECU in my car or remove speed limiter or flash different fuel/ignition map and do it for others charging money for it I am going to jail?[/citation]

No because those actions do not facilitate the usage of copyrighted material with no cost. He was modding consoles to play ILLEGAL pirated games folks, not installing a NAWSSSSSS system on a riced out honda civic.

 

[bilco]

It's not against the law to modify your console in was such as panting it etc etc. However, it is against the law to do something that circumvents copyright protection methods. Whether you charge or not doesn't matter in this case I'm pretty sure. He just painted a bigger target on his head by doing so. This is how, I think it was ATF, did a huge raid on wiikey and mod chip installers back in 2005/2006(maybe even 2007?).

 

[Guest]

Why is homeland security involved? I ripping MS, Nintendo and Sony off a national security issue? Don't they have terrorists to catch?

 

[ssddx]

"A Southern California college student was arrested for running a console-modifying business from his home."

He modified copyrighted software to play pirated games/etc. He encouraged pirating by providing such a service. He made a profit on providing such a service.

Is it so hard to understand? Nobody cares if you modify your own consoles hardware. Modifying the software (esp. to pirate) is the big deal here. The reason he was arrested and not his customers is most likely because he was the source. To people who promote pirating, you just wouldn't understand.