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Federal Agents Raid Homes for Modchips
Lunatrik writes "Invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, Federal Custom's Agents have raided over 30 homes and businesses looking to confiscate so-called 'mod chips', or other devices that allow the playback of pirated video games. This raises an important question: Are legitimate backup copies of a piece of software you own illegal under the DMCA?"
But they assured us it wouldn't impact legitimate customers, I mean "law-abiding citizens"! How could you have doubted the benign motives of our popularly elected government?
Seriously, though, I'd say someone in the executive is looking for a promotion. Based on where campaign donations go, I'd say they've read the tea leaves that say the GOP is out in 2008 and are even now currying favor with those funded by hollywood, etc.
How much enforcement has there been of this before now?
"If still these truths be held to be
Self evident."
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
no. get some perspective. hammers and screwdrivers do not have an end use licence agreement. yes of course it is up to the seller to determine the terms of the sale. its called a contract. Are you suggesting that all contracts are unenforceable? If you rent a house, you sign a form to say you will not do X, Y and Z, maybe not to have any pets, or leave the house unattended. This is not evil it is proof their *is* a free market. You are suggesting that sellers of all products be prevented from setting any conditions on the sale of their products. I guess you would also mean that a EULA should be unenforceable, and thus abolish copyright when it comes to allowing you to make copies of digital products? This is often suggested by people who have never actually created a product...
If I invent product X, who are you, or the government to dictate the terms under which I profit from my invention? The l;egaility of mod chipping is hardly a secret.
If you don't like it, go invent your own product and stick a big "mod chip friendly" sticker on it.
DRM-free indie games for the PC and Mac: Positech Games
As long as there will be "security", anti-copy, DRM and whatever, preventing me from using my right to copy my own stuff, i will develop, copy
and distribute software allowing me to use my "legal" freedom and right to copy whatever it is i bought. This attitude, i beleive, i the one any citizen of any country should adopt: defend your rights at all costs to protect what was built (the laws or the entire country) by those who previously died for it (the ancestors).
Preventing someone from using his right to live (aka killing this person) is illegal. Preventing this same person from using their right to copy the stuff they own is illegal too, however remains unpunished. We have the right to copy, the RIAA and co. do not have the right to prevent us from doing so. They are not justice, they are not the law. Just an organization. And now it is time for them to pay for their threats and their crimes.
Oh please. The motivation for mod chips is to play games that you didn't buy. I'm not saying I think mod chips should be illegal, but don't try to claim that its mostly for legitimate purposes.
NEITHER DOES A FUCKING NINTENDO DS, DUMBASS!
Games have EULAs, but games aren't what the modchip gets applied to!
Hello, Mr. Fucking Pot! I'd like you to meet Mr. Kettle...
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Typical argument of media theifs that they aren't stealing from the producers. WRONG. The distributors work as agents of the producers. It's so lame and immature - you sound like a petulent child making stupid arguments about why they should get to smoke pot.