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Australian Crackdown On Console Modchips Likely To Continue

angry tapir writes "Late last week an Australian court issued an injunction against a handful of retailers selling or importing hardware — commonly known as 'mod chips' — that allows unauthorized software to run on Sony's PlayStation 3. The court also required that the four parties that were the subject of the injunction actually hand over to Sony any PlayStation modchips they have. Sony's PlayStation 3 mod chip lawsuit could be just the first of many such cases in Australia, according to a lawyer who defended a client against Nintendo in a similar case earlier this year."

2 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Australia: The Lucky Country by mjwx · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Thank God you got the convicts and we got the Puritans.

    I'm grateful for that every day, speaking as an Australian.

    Now that you've bought it up, I'd like to educate you as to the kinds of criminals that were bought to Australia. The reason for bringing convicts to do labour was to expedite the construction of a colony (the British empire did the same with some US colonies and elsewhere) so they didn't send the murderers, rapists and other such violent ruffians that would cause trouble for their guards. Those stayed safely in the confines of old blighty. Instead the petty criminals were sent to the colonies or "transported", thieves, deserters, people in debt (yes, they imprisoned you if you didn't pay back then), even just for being Irish (as subversives, it was illegal to even display an Irish flag at the turn of the 19th century). At the end of their sentences convicts were not transported back to England, instead they were given a parcel of land in Australia and permitted to work that land (so much of it around, it was worthless to sell). So in the end the convicts became colonists, which is why the hardened criminals stayed in England.

    As I said, a lot of people were sent here just for being Irish so you'll meet a fair few Australians with Irish surnames.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  2. Re:Australia: The Lucky Country by Blain · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Wow. Amazing ability to not get a joke. That could make you a barrel of fun at parties.

    Oh, that was sarcasm -- don't really try it at parties. Or anywhere.

    No shortage of love for Ozzies here. Just a little good-natured poke based on the same poke in the other direction and current events.