[atholon]

First Ever Console Modding Conviction
Remember kids: crime just doesn't pay.
by Wade Steel
July 5, 2005 - The first ever conviction for modifying a gaming console has been secured in the UK, with a 22 year-old Cambridge graduate receiving 140 hours of community service and a bill for about $1,500 in court costs, according to a report at GamesIndustry.biz.



The man was found guilty under the EU (European Union for those of you who don't pay attention to these things) Copyright Directive which makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection systems on hardware such as gaming consoles.

The perpetrator was selling Xbox consoles with larger hard drives than the retail version, with pre-installed games already loaded. According to the report, the modified consoles came with 80 pre-installed games on a 200 GB hard drive at a cost of about $760 per console.

In addition to being convicted of illegally distributing the 80 pirated games, the Cambridge grad was also convicted of actually modding the console itself -- an act that is considered illegal under the EUCD.

According to Michael Rawlinson, the deputy director of the ELSPA (the trade group that brought the charges against the individual in question), "This case sets a major precedent which marks a milestone in the fight against piracy." Rawlinson went on to state that this case "sends a clear message to anyone tempted to become involved in chipping consoles that this is a criminal offence and will be dealt with accordingly."