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 2)22. Why not just give them what they want? They think we're all a bunch of no good ruffians destroying the world as they know it. Let's start by taking down their website. We all have nothing better to do...
Take down their site guys, and when they get another one up, take it down again.
23. I will not be sending any letter of complaint to my respective representative. Not because I don't care but because I don't want that letter being the first thing put in a file with my name on it filed at an headquarters somewhere. yeh. have fun w/ that.
Posted at 9:58AM on Aug 4th 2007 by Duri3l
24. Write your Representatives. Your taxes PAY them to represent you, so make them do their damn job.
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Posted at 4:51PM on Aug 4th 2007 by jason
25. P.S. do we not have anything better do to with our tax money. I.E. fight wars, fight drugs, and how did we elect a bunch of @$$ holes that wont let us enhance the capabilities of our electronics ?
Posted at 10:43PM on Aug 4th 2007 by pistolpete
26. What's next ? calling in a repair guy just to switch out a lightbulb ??? Heck, we might not be able to flush our own toilets in a few years.
Posted at 10:44PM on Aug 4th 2007 by pistolpete
27. I'm glad this got posted here. And I'm even happier that some of you are writing your congress people about it. This isn't the first time I've written mine about what I thought of a ridiculous tech law, but this one kind of hit home with me because at least 2 of the people that got hit I speak to on a weekly basis and I know nether one of them were pirates but just people who loved console modding and ran a shop on the side to help others who were interested.
the h.a.d. crowd might not all be console modders but I have to wonder how long before crap like this prevents us from even owning a soldering iron with registering it like a gun. BTW they confiscated all soldering equipments as part of the raids, as well as titles to cars, deeds to houses and other crap that really has nothing else to do with evidence related to the "crime" but royal f-cks up these people's lives.
Posted at 11:04PM on Aug 4th 2007 by twistedsymphony
28. nathan belomy, blow me.
i know of a guy who was busted in this sting who has _never_ done an illegal mod. all legal cromwell bios's that only boot linux. what the end user does after it leaves his soldering shop is their problem, not his
should the guy who pumps your gas be held liable if you get in an accident on the highway because he gave you what you needed to get there?
Posted at 1:44AM on Aug 5th 2007 by jason
29. how long untill we wont even be able to buy mod chips anymore this sucks i havent even got a chance to mod my xbox yet. does anybody no if they have taken othe large retail mod chip stores??
Posted at 12:05PM on Aug 5th 2007 by sam
34. Victum less crimes are pointless, modes dont hurt no one, the gov does. I say let it rain anarchy opon there stupid heads!!! thay can only push a hacker/modder so far. Geez. By the way my senitor hates me for protesting anti-smoking laws. He he
Posted at 6:59PM on Aug 16th 2007 by Justin
35. Problem is, most people who mod xbox's or whatever, download illegal games and hurt the gaming business.
Just like how bit-torrent networks have become infected with movies and people download them, and don't even rent movies.
Hacking will always exist though. It is just when hacking becomes about money, stealing and cheating corporations out of money, while turning a profit is when they get upset.
They are never going to come after the sole individual who hacks a Xbox or Xbox 360 with Linux and runs a webserver. They want to take out the guy modding consoles for idiots who can't do it themselves. It is so easy to download a game from a bit-torrent vs. so difficult to back-up a game.
They aren't going after the hacker who backs up his games and runs linux. Unfortunately, just like with drugs, someone gets it is always someone who gets too greedy. For instance: if the hacking scene was small, nobody would care. But these teams come out, make products for the masses, with the intent of making lots of money. Just like with unscheduled drugs: some dumbass wants lots of money, makes a bunch of some unknown drug, and bam, the DEA is all over it because it is now a threat to the public.
Sure, you guys hackers - you visit a hacking website for goodness sake. But lets face it: with technology becoming commonly used by everyone, everyone uses it more and things blow up. Things that blow up, people notice. Nobody gives a rats behind about you hacking a door knob, even if you give out the plans; because most people lack the motivation and intelligence to make it. But pretend you sold it: tons of people would just buy it, because it is so much easier then making it.
Comparing Cars Moddin to Xbox Moddin is not comparable. At least in the sense I'm talking about. You buy a car, moddin it only brings money to other companies who makes products. You buy an xbox-360, moddin it (in the case of just about everyone) hurts the game industry because people download games off the internet.
Technically moddin cars is illegal, just like technically it is illegal to mod an xbox. But the cops don't impound your vehicle for a having a supercharger unless you're really stupid. Sorry, but running a illegal business selling services for Xbox 360 hacking is totally illegal. Anyone doing that as a pure business model is crazy (because you know you are hurting the bottom line of gaming). The sick part is you aren't really hurting Microsoft, you're hurting the game manufactures, which in some cases are small little companies.
Show me one time anyone here has been arrested for hacking something. You don't get arrested for hacking hardware, you get arrested for making a business model for selling your hacking services for a completely immoral purpose. Just like that one hacker isn't releasing some hack that could undermind hotel security keycodes. Why? Because he isn't some jerk trying to make living of screwing hotel security. Sure he could release the product, allow criminals to hack into anyones hotel room, causing every hotel to change locks, but he isn't a jerk.
But these hackers who hack for $$$ aren't hackers, they aren't crackers either, they are criminals. But guess what, smooth criminals never get caught - but the ones that don't realize what they are doing is illegal and just think it is normal, maybe they are just as stupid as the idiot who can't hack his own xbox (one has common sense the other has brains, but I suppose one person can't have BOTH).
Posted at 5:17PM on Nov 20th 2007 by nathan belomy
21. Wow, what a jumpy crowd. I want some more details before I start pointing fingers and calling my congressman.
the "feds", who are they: The FCC, CIA, FBI, who?
Did they say what law was being violated. What is the actual offense? I can't have my congressman fight a law unnless I know what law to have him fight.
My first suspicions are the the FCC was the ones doing the confiscating. Under FCC regulations once a device is FCC approved, any "mods" to that device also need to be approved or the device loses its approval. Modding an approved device other than as approved is illegal. Software modifications do not count unless they cause the device to emit radio frequency (RF) energy above the approved levels for the device (most electronics emit some RF).
I am not 100% familiar with what the mods in question are, but that gives you something to think about.
Posted at 7:47PM on Aug 3rd 2007 by Octothorpe