I got quite a few emails about this, but didn't have a chance to check it out until now. It seems that the feds have been raiding various mod shops and individuals who've been doing mods for others. I'm a fan of open, moddable and repairable hardware, so this is sad news to me. There's a first hand account from one of the raided individuals along with a decent commentary on the issue sent in by [xantium].
This might sound a bit strange, but take the time to let your congress critter know what you think about this issue. Don't expect them to understand the technical background, but letting them know that you're unhappy with the execution of the DMCA and that labeling legitimate uses for mod-chip technology as illegal is the equivalent to outlawing home car repair might make a difference.
Mod chip crackdown in the US.
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Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. do not bother emailing. send an actual letter instead.
real mail is much more likely to be taken notice of.
Posted at 8:57AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by pedro
3. That makes me sad, but two things make me sadder.
1) that I didn't really think about it seriously until now, and
2) a law can be made so ambiguous that it can be interpreted like this...
Posted at 9:35AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by joseph
4. Making hardware mods illegal is horrible. Like the summary said.. thats like outlawing working on your car at home. I like to work on cars, I like to hack on electronics and other mechanical stuffs. What scares me is, how far away are we from a time when the FCC/congress/whoever says: "You can't do any hardware hacking on anything with electricity"?
5. Boo hoo, big crocodile tears for a guy that KNEW he was doing something that could get him in trouble. the turd did not even have the balls to marry the girl he knocked up.
I dont feel bad for him, he's stupid. I feel bad for his grandma as he set them up for being raided.
Wahhh.
Posted at 10:04AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by stinky
6. This is BS! My website has been running off a modded Xbox running linux for years. Now all of a sudden I can be arrested for it? There are no copywrited files on my Xbox at all. There are legitimate uses for a modded Xbox!
Posted at 10:13AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by BillGod
7. Well, I'm pissed now, because apparently they include swap magic as a mod chip, that's bull, I can kinda understand stuff like ICE, but Swap Magic? I still have to buy the f-ing import, now the only way to play them is to buy a foreign PS2
Posted at 11:16AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by Damaster
8. Stinky- have you considered the reason the dude isn't married to his kid's mother, may be in part the choice of the mother? Respectfully your ragging him for not being married is the kind of simplistic thinking, that was part of the passage of the DMCA, with it's too broad a brush.
Posted at 11:42AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by static
10. It frikn retarded, you are paying a money fo consoles. cars, computers etc. does that do not make you owner of them? if so why you cand do whatever you want to those things? cars have to meet some sandarts to be street legal, but even if they are not you still can do whatever you want to them. Why consoles are different? EULA? nobody is reading 10 pages of document when they want to turn on console, and another 10 when they putting the game in...
so what was the definition of "free country" again?
Posted at 12:14PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by HE3r0
11. I know games of World of Warcraft "rent" you their game and characters, so that selling anything from it is illegal. I wouldn't doubt if Microsoft had something similar, where you were "renting" the system and games, and anything you did to it was considered destroying another person's property.
Quote:
4. Making hardware mods illegal is horrible. Like the summary said.. thats like outlawing working on your car at home. I like to work on cars, I like to hack on electronics and other mechanical stuffs. What scares me is, how far away are we from a time when the FCC/congress/whoever says: "You can't do any hardware hacking on anything with electricity"?
/Quote
If this day ever comes us geeks will unite and create our own open source video game console and system. Kind of like the GP2X, or linux, although that is not a console.
Maybe that time is almost here...
12. I am interested in writing to my congressman and senator, does anyone have a form letter that I could use to get started? I think that if someone was willing to write a form letter, then a lot more people would be willing to print it out and send it off.
Posted at 12:27PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by Adrian
13. @jbot: There's probably the best chance of that happening with someone like Ron Paul in office. I don't know if he's the only one that opposes virtually all draconian legislation like the DMCA, Patriot Act, etc., but people like him could help restore our freedoms.
I'm not trying to say you should only support him - support your freedom-loving public official of choice :)
Posted at 1:47PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by DrSpud
14. Quote
Spend all the US money on freaking mod chip crimes, what a place we have nothing else to worry about than people modding there consoles.
/Quote
Ya, because we just have to get all those nerdy guys out of their mother's basements, you don't know what kind of hardened criminals they are. *rolls eye*
Why don't they go after drug dealers and murderers first? If they were all off the streets, then I might consider cracking down on modchips, but only the ones being used for illegal stuff And I don't mean the crap like it being illegal to copy your DVDs to it, thats retarded, but if you download or rent the games and copy them, then I can understand taking action against that. Its when they get mad at you for converting a DVD that you legally bought so that you can watch it on your PSP or ipod.
Posted at 1:53PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by vskid3
15. Offtopic: Wow, I hope some of you don't actually write to your congressman. Of course, that is assuming that you are old enough to vote in the first place. Seriously, check your spelling before you post.
On topic: This is really sad. Unfortunately, technology laws are being written, voted on, and passed by people who have no idea about the actual technology. In reality, an email is probably as good as a letter since they probably have an assistant to print out the email for them to read. Just remember to put your age, your address, and your name on the letter so that they know it is a real person that they represent (and is voting for/against them). This makes me want to backup a DVD right now.
Posted at 2:23PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by JamieWho
16. Heh,
The best part of it is where the ICE website wants you to "Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credit of "Photo Courtesy of ICE" or "Image Courtesy of ICE" " from this page: http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/multimedia/archive/index.htm
where the watermarks of at least 2 images have been blacked out in what looks like MSPaint! Infringe that sucka's...wait, they did. gj twistedsymphony for noticing that.
Posted at 3:26PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by Mike
17. I wonder if we could charge them with copyright infringement. I certainly would like to if they are using that image without permission.
Posted at 3:44PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by AscendedDaniel
18. The congressional offices actually put more weight on a physical letter than an e-mail, so sending a letter will have more impact. Obviously the letter needs to be coherent and not sound like it is coming from a blathering idiot.
Posted at 4:05PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by mike
19. Hmm....wonder if Wiinja knows they're using that image?
If not, im curious as to what response they will get when they fill out the recommended form:http://www.ice.gov/partners/cornerstone/ipr/IPRForm.htm
Ah....forget the rising crime levels, lets reduce the rising stupidity levels first.
Posted at 6:24PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by chansuke
20. I admire moding consoles.I know pirateing is ilegal and they should crack down on that,but so what if people want to take apart there xbox360 or mess with computer chips!Like another coment said: (people like to mess with cars) and my xbox 360 is like my car so why should the FEDS take my 360 because im upgradeing it like puting a V8 in a V6 car.
Posted at 7:23PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by nick gamertag: weilda of power
1. Oh. My. Goodness.
I am definitely e-mailing Congress about this, and putting it on my website, and Digging it, etc. This is ridiculous.
I wish there was a way for the entire DMCA to go right out the window. It is tying the hands of so many programmers around the world. And now it is hitting modders. Oh nose...
Posted at 8:11AM on Aug 3rd 2007 by JBot