Nintendo teams up with customs to crack down on Wii modders
By Paul Miller 
posted August 2nd 2007 10:53AM
posted August 2nd 2007 10:53AM
Hide away that soldering iron, Nintendo is on to you crazy kids. The company has issued a press release "in support of" recent raids by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, which executed 32 search warrants in 16 states to weed out those responsible for the distribution of "illegal modification chips." Apparently this is the largest enforcement action taken against video game piracy, and Nintendo has been working hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security to pull it off. Since April, Nintendo claims to have seized more than 91,000 counterfeit (er, "backup") Wii discs globally. Of course, the whole issue of whether mod chips, when used harmlessly to enable homebrew and backups, should be illegal in the first place is still a sticky issue (the DMCA seems to frown on the idea), but it looks like if you are indeed trading in the illicit stuff, Nintendo and the fuzz are hoping to track you down for a little chat.Update: Looks like Wii modders aren't the only ones on the run. No console is safe!
I knew there had to be other smart people out there!! too many brainwashed idiots to deal with!
@KineticOnline
1)In some places your vehicle has to pass an environmental inspection before it gets licensed so I don't think you can modify your car too much
2)Some suburbs have design standards committees and you have to get their OK before modifying your house
3)I think there is a bit in the bible that forbids a person from disfiguring their body
First. This has been mentioned but I don't think many people got the idea. US Customs is part of Homeland Security. It isn't the terrorist part of Homeland Security that is cracking down on this, its the Customs guys.
Second. My personal opinion to this subject is that the companies should provide some method of safely and legally storing your bought games so that if they get damaged you have a legit backup to fall back on. This would also be an eliminate the piracy vs. backup arguement that is the current case. Since the console companies haven't thought or developed this type of system yet there is this question of how to make it so that the companies get the money they have their legal right to and the gamers get their backups.
THERE IS NO SOLUTION THAT WILL MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY PEOPLE.
Also, give the companies a break, they only do this so that they don't loose money and can keep bringing out new products.
Buy one in China where the ever-helpful vendors have already done the mod for you. Naturally they have a shelf of ah-hm "backup" discs for sale too.
hmm i got my wii for HKD$1400 in hK, pre-modded and 2 sets of controllers
that's about USD$180 fyi
and the games cost the eqiv. of USD$3 =)
Awesome! I'm glad our law enforcement personnel have their priorities straight and are working so diligently to put away these dangerous criminals.
I, for one, feel much safer knowing our Wii's are that much safer.
Truly, the enforcement of corporate intellectual property rights is the highest and most important function of our government. Good job, all!
i didn't even know WII already had a mod chip....
gonna have to get me one of those!
Lookout car tuning people!
Those illegal neon are next!
"If you can`t open it, you don`t own it" -Makezine
I'm wondering how about Chinese market...
In Australia it is legal to install mod-chips, if a disk-region scheme is in place (NTSC/PAL). There is even a company that pre-installs wiiKey and ships it to you for free!
So Nintendo can't "brick" my Wii, or take my game backups.