Hacking Legality of Flashcarts when travelling?

[Arizato]

Yo!

I am travelling to the UK soon and I've read many stories these last years where people have faced prison sentences for importing DS flashcarts. However I want to play something on my flight to and from the UK and I wonder if it is illegal to bring flashcarts with you while travelling? Could you face charges for doing so?

 

[yodamerlin]

The only thing you would be done for is pirating, which not many people really get arrested for anyway. UK law says that the DS is a product, do as you will kind of thing. So it really depends on what is on the flashcart. If it is games, then you technically could but I would say you would not. And if they do stop you, you can always say they are backups of games you own. For that is legal under UK law.

 

[Arizato]

The only thing you would be done for is pirating, which not many people really get arrested for anyway. UK law says that the DS is a product, do as you will kind of thing. So it really depends on what is on the flashcart. If it is games, then you technically could but I would say you would not. And if they do stop you, you can always say they are backups of games you own. For that is legal under UK law.

I mostly use mine for homebrews even though I got a few backups of my owned games. Maybe it's not worth risking it.

 

[yodamerlin]

I mostly use mine for homebrews even though I got a few backups of my owned games. Maybe it's not worth risking it.

If it is for backup and homebrew, then you have done nothing wrong. I take my cart on planes all the time, they even did a full bag search once and nothing.

 

[Arras]

AFAIK it's only a problem if you have a ton of them with you.

 

[Smuff]

The only person who ever cared about my cart was the guy sitting behind me on the flight back from Egypt 7 years ago, who wanted to know how I'd managed to play 4 different games without changing the cartridge. He then claimed he worked for Nintendo. I said that if he did actually work for Nintendo then I was sure he'd know all about the R4 already.
True story.
Not very relevant or helpful.

 

[FAST6191]

Absence of proof is not proof of absence but in the decade or so GBAtemp has been operating we have seen

1) A handful of retailers get their collar felt, usually though they were also selling pirated games on the side (which is what they ultimately tended to be prosecuted for).
2) Some retailers get a shipment of a box or three seized for being flash carts, no further actions seem to get taken.
3) Customs in various countries inventing a import duty, though seemingly not for flash carts as much as what they occasionally do for any item or because they want their weekend drinks fund a bit bigger.

There was one potential not import duty related seizing (from post) a month or two back but we never got any more info on it.
Hundreds of members have travelled all over the world with flash carts (including to and from the UK), some of which even thinking they were doing something wrong (two things I have learned in life -- never maintain eye contact with bouncers in clubs if you look like me and want to get let in, it is not the being guilty as much as looking like it, naturally if you do not feel guilty then that makes that a lot easier) and nobody in authority has so much as said a bad word.

 

[Technicmaster0]

I traveled to UK a few years ago (about 3) with the plane and had no problems. I had the card in the DS' slot but the customs didn't even bother to open anything. But I also heared that flashcards are illegal in the UK.
Personally I would do it again but maybe not with the most expensive flashcard I have.

 

[migles]

i had traveled 2 times (4 airport inspections), with my ds 3ds all my pokemon cards and 2 flashcards

one of those times i even had a wii (3 consoles total)

there was not a single problem.

ps, my micro sd card was full of downloaded roms, and even if it didnt they dont check it...

 

[Monty Kensicle]

As far as I can tell you'd only get in trouble for buying your selling a flastcart. Because I've had my DS with cartridge inspected by lots of different folks at various terminals and they never asked about it. Seemingly didn't know or care what it was.

But if you had a briefcase full of them that might get them curious.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

...as long as you don't tell the entire country then my motto is..

do what you want cause a pirate be free.........

 

[Clydefrosch]

i think r4 cards are illegal in europe at this point, so if someone knew what you had there and knew about them being illegal, they could fine your or something. but whats the chance of that happening? basically zero.

 

[Technicmaster0]

i think r4 cards are illegal in europe at this point, so if someone knew what you had there and knew about them being illegal, they could fine your or something. but whats the chance of that happening? basically zero.

They are not illegal in Europe in general: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...acy-circumvention-may-be-legal-eu-court-rules.

 

[BestR4i3DS.com]

Please take it easy, we have many many UK customers,
local UK players use flashcarts, you travel to UK, without problem,
but don't share the game copies

 

[Vipera]

It's illegal for whoever tries to import them with the intent of selling.

A guy with a flashcard worth 10 bucks in his DS? They don't even bother. It's clear enough that you want to use it for yourself. You have a bag full of 1000 flashcards? It's clear enough that you are going to sell them. You will get in trouble.

No country is going to take the risk of pushing away a tourist unless he/she is a reseller. And they have to be 100% sure, as if you had a bag full of flashcards or whatever.

 

[Hells Malice]

I genuinely don't understand how people worry about crap like this.

Is this your first flight? If so, protip: No one gives a shit. You'll put your carry-on through security, it'll go through a scan for bombs and stuff, they'll give no shits and you'll be on your way. Security doesn't care. Customs doesn't care and the flight staff ESPECIALLY doesn't care.