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Category — Criminal Convictions
British ‘While You Wait’ Chipper/Modder Convicted
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Modding Cases
Stephen Fitgerald offered a while-you-wait chipping/modding service at computer fairs contrary to the U.K. Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (copyright circumvention offences). He offered pre-chipped consoles and/or would install copy-protection and region-code defeating chips in PS2s and Xboxes while customers waited.
After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, ordered to pay £2,500 towards prosecution costs and was subject to a confiscation order for £2,710 under the British Proceeds of Crime Act (2002). He has until May 23, May 2007 to pay-up, or face three months in jail. The maximum penalty is two years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Dale's Comment: Gamasutra characterized this case as being "in stark contrast" to Australia's recent legalization of region-code defeating mod-chips. While Australia did make it legal for users to mod game consoles to defeat region-coding, Australian has not made it legal to install chips to defeat copy protection systems.
Sources: Hexus | PC Pro | Gamasutra | This is Lancashire | News&Star
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Del.icio.us Another Game Piracy Asset Seizure: $474,000
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
After serving a 12 month jail sentence for PS2 and XBox game related piracy and counterfeiting offenses, 46 year old Merseyside England woman Susan Roach has had $474,000 in assets seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Sources: Gamasutra | Northwest Enquirer | 1Up.com | Computer Active
Two U.K. Men Jailed for Game Piracy
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
Two men were jailed, one for 18 months another for 3 years. They were found with illegally-copied PC and Xbox video games worth an estimated £58,000.
Sources: BBC | Myth Games
British Game Pirates Ordered to Repay $1.114M
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
An ex-couple, Andrew King (53) and Angela Susan Jones (42), were ordered by a Liverpool court to pay $4378K and $835K respectively within six months or serve 21 months/six years in jail. If they fail to pay by the deadline and serve the jail sentence, they will still have to pay the outstanding balance.
Sources: Gamasutra | Myth Games | Hexus | PC Pro
British Man Jailed For Mod Chip Possession
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Modding Cases
David Hoang, 43, of Essex in south east England has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for being in possession of modified games console chips. While banned in Britain and the United States, several countries, including Australia, Italy and Spain, permit the use of mod chips for importing region-coded games that may be delayed or never released in a country. Mod chips often, but not always, also permit the play of pirated games.
Sources: Gamasutra | GameIndustry.biz | Hexus | Press Start Online | virgin.net | iafrica.com
UK Game Pirate Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
During a 2003 raid, more than 13,000 items were seized including pirate videotapes, CDs and DVDs. The pair had been selling pirate copies of games and film both online and from their store. They were charged with conspiracy to produce counterfeit product, with Forhad sentenced to serve 15 months and Ajad nine months.
Sources: Gamasutra | GameIndustry.biz
ELSPA Aids British GameCube Pirate’s Sentencing
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases • Police Actions
A retailer was ordered to pay 3,310 pounds ($5,768 USD) in fines and serve 240 hours of community service for manufacturing and selling counterfeit games for all console systems after being apprehended by a joint operation of the ELSPA, Staffordshire Trading Standards, and the local police.
Source: Gamasutra
Other Piracy Related Posts:
Ice Cream Pirate Sentenced in Scotland
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
William Agnew, aged 50, of Hamilton in central Scotland, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service after admitting to trademark offences. 4,000 pirated DVDs, CDs and games on PlayStation, Xbox and PC platforms were seized during the raid on Agnew’s business premises. Agnew was known to sell the goods from his ice cream van.
Texas Video Game Pirate Sentenced
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases
Texan, Ponce de Leon, is sentenced to three years, ten months in prison and ordered to pay a $1.154 million fine for criminal video game piracy over the Internet.
Sources: U.S. Immigration & Customs | Gamasutra | Gamespot | Next Generation
Maryland Video Game Pirate Sentenced
Categories: Criminal Convictions • DMCA-TPM Cases • Piracy Cases
Biren Amin, owner of Pandora’s Cube, is: (i) sentenced to five months in prison, (ii) sentenced to three years of supervised release, including 5 months of house arrest, (iii) fined $$247,237.05; and (iv) ordered to complete 80 hours of community service, for copyright infringement and DMCA violations.
Sources: Xbox Solution | Next Generation | CNet | ESA Press Release
Related Posts:
- Maryland Video Game Pirate Sentenced (September 16, 2005)
- Pandor’s Cube Pirate Sentenced (July 27, 2005)
- Xbox-Modding Retailers Plead Guilty to DMCA Violations (June 7, 2005)
Pandora’s Cube Pirate Sentenced
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Modding Cases • Piracy Cases
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland hands out a four-month jail sentence to an employee of Pandora’s Cube, a major retailer of pirated software and modified consoles in the Washington, DC area.
Sources: Next Generation | ign.com | Gamespot | Team Xbox | Softpedia
Related Posts:
- Maryland Video Game Pirate Sentenced (September 16, 2005)
- Pandor’s Cube Pirate Sentenced (July 27, 2005)
- Xbox-Modding Retailers Plead Guilty to DMCA Violations (June 7, 2005)
United Kingdom Convicts For XBox Modding Piracy
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Modding Cases • Piracy Cases
A 22 year old Cambridge university graduate has become the first ever person in the UK to be convicted for the illegal modification of video game consoles, alongside more conventional game piracy charges, following a trial at Caerphilly Magistrates Court in Wales.
Source: Gamasutra | BBC | Pocket-Lint
Chinese Gamer Sentenced to Life
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Criminal Prosecutions • Virtual Crime Cases • Virtual Property Cases
A Shanghai online gamer has been given a suspended death sentence for killing a fellow gamer. Qiu Chengwei stabbed Zhu Caoyuan in the chest when he found out he had sold his virtual sword for 7,200 Yuan (£473).
Sources: BBC | MSNBC | PC World | CBC News | CNet UK | China Daily | American Chronicle | NewsSGD.com | CNN Money
Xbox-Modding Retailers Plead Guilty to DMCA Violations
Categories: Criminal Convictions • DMCA-TPM Cases • Modding Cases
Several retailers in Maryland have pleaded guilty to selling modified Xboxes, called “Super Xboxes” by the group, thereby violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The maximum penalty for first-time violators of the DMCA is five years in prison along with a $250,000 fine.
Source: Gamasutra
Related Posts:
- Maryland Video Game Pirate Sentenced (September 16, 2005)
- Pandor’s Cube Pirate Sentenced (July 27, 2005)
- Xbox-Modding Retailers Plead Guilty to DMCA Violations (June 7, 2005)
Record 3.5 Year Prison Sentence for UK Game Pirate
Categories: Criminal Convictions • Piracy Cases • Police Actions
A 45 year old man in South Wales was sentenced to the longest sentence ever imposed by a UK court for game piracy, three and a half years. John Lamb was caught with a counterfeited game inventory estimated at 1/4 Million pounds. He had marketed his pirated games with spam e-mails.
Sources: GameIndustry.biz | ELSPA Press Release | Play.tm
