Nintendo DS pirates and home-brew hopefuls expecting to pick up a software loading card in Japan may need to start making other plans. Recently there was an amendment to the Unfair Competition Prevention act that specifically banned the sale of any devices that bypass a manufacturers implemented security. On Wednesday we saw our first case imposing this new rule. The crackdown involved a magikon (magic computer) type card, that allows users to load games and software on a SD card, into a Nintendo DS capable handheld.
The accused 39 year old man from Saitama Japan was caught selling three of these devices, totaling ¥7,200. Not really a big time dealer by any stretch. There was a rather high profile case in 2008 involving a R4 magikon card in Osaka. A mother and son were arrested for the same crime, but charged with violation of a different law. Now that the law is even more specific, do you think the news in Japan will be full of similar arrests soon?
Japan arrests Majikon video game piracy suspect [BBC]
