Divineo fined for $9 Mil

[DiegoCJ]

Did they sued only the US store or all of them?

If it is only the US store, they can declare bankrupcy and still do business with the other stores around the world...

 

[Mehdi]

When you buy a console shouldn't you be allowed to do what you want with it? I feel a whole knew debate coming on.

I agree. If we buy it we buy the whole damn thing so we can mod it and it shouldnt be illegal. However the modified Bios in the modchip is illegal which would be a copyright crime.

 

[legendofphil]

Its not the BIOS that makes a mod chip illegal, its the fact it gets around the copy protection of the console.
The HDLoader also does this, i'm not sure if it backs up copies but you can rent or borrow games you don't own and copy them that way.

You can mod a console all you want, it is yours to do with what you want but don't expect to have any warranty left afterwards.

You can install a mod chip into your console if you wish but there are safe guards to make sure you can't play those copies (or even originals after that point) online.

The legallity of mod chips (et al) has only been confirmed in some countries and the laws on copyrights are also a grey area in some countries.
At the end of the day it is mainly those companys that have been directly affected by them that pursue a legal course of action.

 

[SYN7HOR]

What pisses me off the most about this whole huge-corporation-sues-small-companies-and-ultimately-destroys-them thing is that they're interfering with technological development. Which means they are fucking with mankind. Filesharing is ofcourse the best example.

Noone will go to the store and buy a plastic case in 10 years. Then the gameproducers WILL find another way to get paid. The games will still be made. That's just the way the market works.

I'm sick of the American political process being whored out to big corperations to be used as a giant thumb on my head. In fact I'm pretty damn tired of the American political process period.

Thank you.

I find it disturbing how few americans feel that way.

 

[melloncollie]

I'm sick of the American political process being whored out to big corporations to be used as a giant thumb on my head. In fact I'm pretty damn tired of the American political process period.

That's called the Elitist Theory.
It's more than likely incorrect.
That is, alone it is incorrect.
America's government is a combination of Pluralism and Elitism.
On paper America's government is a wonderful thing.
Put into play, it bites the big one when people don't follow the rules (all of the time).

Now about This suit:
This is like busting the car dealership that sold the car to a drunk driver who just happened to crash into someone else.
What sense does that make?
People use it for piracy, don't delude yourselves into thinking we're all straight shooters.
Just like many of us use our flash carts for piracy (me included).
But to slam the guys who sell this stuff?
All of these modchips do have non-piracy uses.
Of course though, It's Sony.

 

[mthrnite]

America's government is a combination of Pluralism and Elitism.
On paper America's government is a wonderful thing.
Put into play, it bites the big one when people don't follow the rules (all of the time).

Forgive my populist rant. I'm a pragmatist by day, honest

This DMCA stuff just really gets my goat. The "Big Guys" are playing by the rules in this case, it's just a very faulty ruleset.

..and you know, I'd be all about the "trickle down economics" if the stuff trickling down on me was desirable (it's not.)
Big business has had the reins for quite a while now, and I don't see the nation, or the world for that matter, being any better for it.

oops, my populism is showing again....

 

[HugeCock]

What pisses me off the most about this whole huge-corporation-sues-small-companies-and-ultimately-destroys-them thing is that they're interfering with technological development. Which means they are fucking with mankind. Filesharing is ofcourse the best example.

How does this even compre to filesharing? I was affected huge by filesharing in a good way. As a young video producer in 2000 Kazaa and Morpheus helped my company grow and make over 500 thousand dollars. It was an effective way for small buisnesses to legitly get their name out there and advertise. By the time RIAA got done doing all the bullshit they did everyone is now afraid...or the majority is afraid to use these services which now criples my buisness. Kazaa had a purpose other than piracy......and that was letting small buisnesses grow.

So I am not exactly sure how selling modchips is comparative?

The whole.....you can make one or two back ups legaly argument must be flawed because it seems these companies are trying VERY HARD to stop you from making your backups. From Macrovision to UMDs to Gamecubes "mini discs" to the upcoming discs with chips in them...it seems these companies do NOT want you backing up your product so the argument "you can make one backup" may be as moot as saying "you can have a rom on your computer for 24 hours"

As a consumer I feel this does suck cause it makes things a bit of a hassle for me or less convienient. The music world never wanted MP3's and imagine if MP3 players were outlawed like HD loader and mod chips were .... luckily there were more music lovers and we somewhat one that war. HD Loader was the BEST thing to happen to the PS2 in MANY ways like MP3s were to music. I mean what is the difference?

Regarding the price of the fine I think it's really just scare tactics like suing some 80 year old woman who lives in a trailer 800 thousand dollars for her grand daughter downloading Pirates of the Carabean. It makes the news and it scares people like me to download movies. In reality that 800 grand will never be seen but the MPA or whoever won the case just got a very anti piracy ad across the globe. "Avreage joe gets sued lots of money and you can be next". I see the same thing going on here. I was thinking of opening my own cart shop for shits and giggles and now....HELL NO. The juice aint worth the squeeze. Is kicktrading making enough to want to fight this fight? Don't know but this move has to have scared some small buisnesses.

 

[SYN7HOR]

How does this even compre to filesharing?

I used filesharing as an example of when big companies interfere with technological developments - that benefits the whole of mankind - because it threatens their profits.

One of the most disturbing parts about corporate power, and an eye-opener, is that Bechtel actually tried privatizing RAINWATER in Bolivia. Because the people naturally revolted, Bechtel tried suing. Google it. have come to the point where I believe big companies are, by far, the biggest threat to humanity. And no, I'm not a hippe.

 

[skywarp]

Its not the BIOS that makes a mod chip illegal, its the fact it gets around the copy protection of the console.

Maybe that's how it works in the UK, but not in the US and Canada. That's why most mod-chip devs are never shut down, same thing with the sites selling them. Like others have said, the abilitiy to do something illegal with an object doesn't automatically make said object illegal. Unless you guys have crazy laws over there in Europe. Most modchips AS SOLD are actually incapable of doing anything illegal such as going around copyright protection, it's the bios that allows them to do so.