QUOTE(redwolf @ Apr 3 2006, 05:41 PM)
and don't forget ELSPA is like mostely UK crap.. UK law is soooooo much strict then rest of the world. you can't even buy a CD from HMV then copy it to tape so you can listen in your car
Actually we have some of the best consumer protection laws out there, just most the u.k public dont seem to know their rights.
He only actually got 1 month for the chipping, which is illegal in the u.k if you provide a hacked bios file. Without this the xbox doesnt play copies and no laws have been broken.
Without knowing what stolen good he recieved it would be hard to judge if 17 months is a harsh sentence, but theres no denying handling stolen goods is a crime.
Although the u.k has new tough EU laws similar of that to the DMCA i have yet to see this enforced on its own, all the news reports i have read of u.k modders going to court is when theyve done something else aswellt
http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/4650225.stmThis is a good example, im sure the majority of his sentence was for the pirated games he was installing on the hd. In this case it seems as though this charge was tacked on to the handling stolen goods charge.
I highly doubt that if this bloke wasnt on stolen goods charges that he would have been prosecuted soley for modding consoles, has this ever happened in the u.k yet?
I agree that once you buy something you should be able to do what you like with it, buts lets be under no illusion here, the VAST majority of people use chips soley to bypass the protections to play copied games they do not own. (note, the VAST majority of people arent the people who frequent sites such as xs)