Student arrested for ‘modding’ Xbox consoles

[ChromeFoundry]

CNN.com - August 5, 2009

Homeland Security officers arrested Cal State Fullerton student Michael Crippen on Monday for modifying Xbox video game consoles to play copied games.

The practice of “modding” a video game console is fairly common. Directions to modify the Xbox and Xbox 360, and even instructional videos, can be found online.

Xbox “modders” defend their actions by claiming the game console is personal property and that modification is necessary to upgrade console hard drives or play legal backups of games they already own.

However, bypassing DRM security is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, which states, “no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.”

Full article: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/05/student-arrested-for-modding-xbox-consoles/

[enlightenment]

1. So they call out Homeland Security?

Crimey. That group really is turning into a new version of the brownshirts.

[RC]

11. Home land Security is the law enforcement arm of the mega-corporations.

[MichiganVote]

2. Another example of the Nazi state. Next come the mattress tags folks

[OhioChick]

3. .........

:rofl:

[Politicalboi]

6. LOL!

There's one now.

[Blue_Tires]

17. great movie or the GREATEST movie??

[Butch350]

7. He broke the law. You know, like the torturing thingy.

[MichiganVote]

8. Yup. I can feel the security threat from here. (Not)

And gee, how utterly predictable that the "Homeland Security" dept. should become an office of brownshirts.

Calling Hitler......

[rd_kent]

4. Homeland Security has nothing better to do or what?

Seems pretty ridiculous to me.

[RandomThoughts]

5. Why was Homeland Security involved?

Think about it, what is their real job, if they are protecting corporate copyright law.


That is the real story in that article.

[MichiganVote]

9. They don't have a job. They have a mission, prolly from God.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Exactly!

[ChromeFoundry]

16. Entertainment Software Association ratted him out...

The dime was dropped on this perp by the Entertainment Software Association, and the raid conducted by Customs agents sometime in May.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/04/console-hacker-arrested-faces-up-to-ten-years-in-jail/

[ixion]

10. what a crock...the DMCA is bogus and needs repealing

and DHS / TSA should be disbanded, IMO.

[OwnedByFerrets]

13. Recommended only so more folks can see what a farked

up country we live in. Sorry, but a change in administration did little to change a lot of fucked up things.

[Hoopla Phil]

14. I wonder how much business he was doing to get the

attention of the feds.

[Chisox08]

15. I thought that MS just banned the cosole from XBL

Now they are having people arrested for modding.

[swaroop]

18. Where is ACLU ? n/t