Modchip makers have much to fear from Sony by
Jolex Del Pilar
Thursday, July 25, 2002
Sony's recent crackdown on illegal PS2 modchips has landed some behind bars.
The Canadian Department of Justice, along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, have realized the first conviction of its kind in Canada relating to the illegal distribution of mod-chips.
The defendant in the case was selling mod-chips for PlayStation consoles, which allows users to circumvent the system’s copy protection safeguards. Robert Garby pled guilty to six counts of criminal code violation and copyright law infringement. Garby was eventually fined $17,000 and sentenced to 12 months probation.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA} has long fought against such devices in the United States, arguing that they violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The company counts four victories in U.S. courts over such mod-chips—with three injunctions issued and one defendant sentenced to seven months of jail time and a $40,000 fine.
Riley Russell, SCEA's general counsel, was quoted as saying, “We are pleased that our neighbor to the North has recognized the illegitimacy of these devices under applicable law."
