Sony vs Modchips

Cryptnotic writes "Sony has decided to instigate legal action against companies distributing two new Playstation 2 modchips, the Messiah and the NEO4. Sony has previously ignored modchip makers who made products which were only capable of playing CD-R copies of games. These new modchips, however, have legitimate uses, such as playing original import games or out-of-region DVD's. Aparrantly this is what has angered Sony." If I could read Kanji I'd probably care a bit more ;)

Comments

Common Misinterpretation of 17 USC 602 (a)

[Brian Ristuccia]

How the fuck do you get off calling playing games from different regions legitimate? It is ILLEGAL, dumbass!

(a)

I suspect you're referring to 17 USC 602 (a), which reads as follows:

Importation into the United States, without the authority of the owner of copyright under this title, of copies or phonorecords of a work that have been acquired outside the United States is an infringement of the exclusive right to distribute copies or phonorecords under section 106, actionable under section 501.

But one important thing you've neglected to do is to read further. 17 USC 602 (a) (2) goes on to say:

This subsection does not apply to importation, for the private use of the importer and not for distribution, by any person with respect to no more than one copy or phonorecord of any one work at any one time, or by any person arriving from outside the United States with respect to copies or phonorecords forming part of such person's personal baggage; or...

There's also exemptions for government use, scholarly, religion, and educational purposes, and for libraries. You should read all of 17 USC 602 (a) before jumping to conclusions about whether it's legal to import games for personal use or to play lawfully imported games.

False

[mbrubeck]

Sony makes a profit on the PS2 hardware.

Sony MAKES money on each PS2--quite a bit, in fact

[oGMo]

More actsofgord links. People should read this site---in addition to being funny and evil, he really knows what he's talking about. In this case, console manufacturers typically do not lose money on each console. This includes Sony and Nintendo right now. Only Microsoft is losing money on each XBOX. According to his calculations, Sony is making a pretty penny, too. If you really want to hurt them, buy an XBOX (but do you really want to help MS?), or a GameCube (same applies to Nintendo, really).

They're pretty much all evil, I guess. Maybe I'll visit the bookstore. ;-)