I've complained many times about the use of federal law to crack down on videogame piracy, or indeed, any piracy. As far as I'm concerned, until online pedophile rings have been dealt with and terrorists aren't able to operate under the government's nose, there is absolutely no excuse for Homeland Security to waste its resources targetting such minor 'crimes' as game machine modification.
Jason Richey, a World of Warcraft fan with a modchip on his shoulder, is of similar mind. With his friend targeted in the raids, he wrote to his representative Marcy Kaptur, hoping for Congress to hear his words:
I am a concerned citizen writing you about the negative repercussions of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA)… Installing a mod chip is similar to installing a V-8 engine in your car, or changing your own oil…
There are many legal reasons for mod chips… a person should be able to do whatever they wish to things they own, including reprogramming them to do things not intended by the manufacturer.
I urge you… heed the will of the people you are sworn to represent and push for the revocation of the DMCA…
My Libertarian principals agree with his stance. Especially in light of the crimes that Homeland Security is taking attention away from in order to pursue mod chips (which as Richey said, can have legal uses), it seems almost farcical that the act of putting a piece of plastic into a game machine can have you treated like the worst criminal in history. That's not the best part though. Hit the jump for the Congresswoman's reply and set sail for fail.
As taken from Richey's Richtastic! blog:
I got a reply today from Marcy Kaptur, dated September 27, 2007. The first line read "Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the Copyright Royalty Board's decision to raise music royalty rates."
That's right, I wrote a detailed letter about the problems with the DMCA and it's effect on hardware engineers and in return I got a form letter on the topic of internet radio. I really can't complain too loudly though as she is in support of Net Neutrality. I just wish our governmental leaders would take the time to read whatever it is that they are responding to. If they don't understand perhaps asking a question or for clarification would be in order and not a standard form letter on a completely different topic.
You have to love it really, don't you? Let this be a lesson to any idealistic kids that might be reading this -- caring about anything never works.
Contest:
7:56 AM on 09.30.2007
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I can Mod my car.
I can Mod my motorbike.
I can Mod my computer.
But the moment i try to mod my consoles the local cops turn up.
Oh wait, I live in Australia and it's legal to mod consoles here.
But you get the gist of it.
The RIAA and MPAA have a sufficient number of those lobbyists.
I am all for people modding what they have, be creative. But when it comes to video games think of the market you love and think how your destroying it by just not buying games. And before you say "oh well so many people already buy games" etc etc well the fact that you didn't and your friend didn't and neither did his friends and their friends and it carries on into a long line of game developers, companies, pr, marketing, PEOPLE not getting paid for their work. People not trying to make interesting and awesome stuff and just releasing shit movie games and madden because people who buy those games don't want the hassle of having to mod their shit.
AHHHH!!! I still love my R4, but if I like a game I'll buy it. I think more people need to support the industry they are active in.
The only reason the law is in place is because the big companies that make the hardware, pay the assholes in office to put the laws in place.
Until you're able to out-bribe the people in office for the law to be revoked, it's pretty pointless to even voice your opinion.
She could, however, possibly be suffering from Alzheimer's disease and just did not remember the E-Mail she just read.
Swing and a miss.
I bet I can't even go to the bathroom without it being linked to terrorism...
but pirates rob rich people!
that's the reason they're more important =)
We're going to have to get used to the fact that unless you have millions of dollars, your elected congressperson does not care for your opinion. Or we're going to start a revolution. Volunteers?
I see those "Revolution, volunteers?" posts on all kinds of message boards, but unfortunately nobody ever really does anything but complain. Now, if someone could set a real plan of action for improvement...
Honestly though, if anything is taking away profits from game companies, it's used game shops (I'm talking to you, Gamestop!) I can understand buying the game used if it's five years old and stores don't carry it anymore. However, getting it used for $55 with none of the money going to the developers as opposed to new for $60 with the developers getting their fair share, that's a bad way to save a few bucks.
Theft, larceny, rape and battery are not lesser crimes.
They're on a whole different level to piracy.
But you already know that.
It goes something like this: people so inclined find a way to mod a console to play pirate copies, people hear about this and go out and buy consoles to play pirated games on, occasionally they will purchase the odd retail game (for 'some' reason). Sony didn't care because these people would never buy games anyway and Sony still makes money on the console (in its later life at least)/peripherals. Meanwhile retailers see that the PS is popular so the retailers stock more games, the public sees more games and believes the PS to be 'the shit', public buys lots of PSs and doesn't pirate games, Sony makes lots of cash.
I'm not now and never was entirely convinced by it but that is how I sort of remember it being told to me.
the problem with this argument is the Dreamcast, obviously.
it's also a bit of a Snakes on a Plane- if you listen to the internet, you would have expected the film to be the #1 grossing movie of the year.
they could still be right, but i'm just sayin'.
the same goes with ps1 games on the psp