Lik-Sang shut down by Microsoft

[buttasuperb]

this type of bullshit makes me not want to get an xbox even more. i dont support piracy, but i sure as hell like to play imports.

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-960594.html?tag=cd_mh


Microsoft zaps Xbox-hacking chipmaker


By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
October 3, 2002, 5:05 AM PT


Microsoft appears to have shut down one of the world's largest distributors of "mod chips"--gray-market add-ons that allow Microsoft's Xbox and other video game consoles to play pirated games.
A representative in Microsoft's Australian subsidiary confirmed that the company has taken legal action against Hong Kong-based Lik Sang.

Lik Sang's Web site has been offline for nearly two weeks, with a notice on the site blaming a server outage.



Lik Sang representatives could not be reached for comment, and Microsoft attorneys were unavailable to explain the exact nature of the legal action.

Lik Sang was one of the top worldwide retailers of mod chips, devices that, once soldered to a game console's main circuit board, disable security components. The chips typically allow a game machine to play legally and illegally copied discs, run unauthorized software and play game discs intended for other geographic regions.

Hackers have latched on to mod chips as a conduit for running homemade software on the Xbox, leading to development of programs such as an Xbox version of the Linux operating system.

Lik Sang offered a variety of mod chips for the Xbox and Sony's PlayStation 2, along with game consoles with mod chips already installed by Lik Sang technicians. The company went into the manufacturing side of the mod chip business last August when it acquired OpenXbox, a mod chip design intended to allow upgrades.

Though mod chips have bothered the video game business for years, Microsoft has been particularly zealous in fighting them. The company reconfigured the Xbox's innards partly to deter hackers and has sought to hire a mod chip expert.

[buttasuperb]

um, not everyone who gets their consoles modded is a pirate.

[Raccoon Lad]

Yarrr, I say we scuttle their deck, and then we keel haul 'em! Wat' do ye' say mateys'?!

[Nature Boy]

Didn't we already have this argument? :)

The first thing I thought of was poor Raedon. He loves that site...

[buttasuperb]

dunno, must have missed that arguement. either that or my memory fails me once again.

anyways that place had much more good stuff besides mod chips. i hadn't ordered from them, but i was gonna soon. ah well, there's plenty of other places to get imports.

[Raedon]

http://help.microsoft.com/!data/en_us/data/messengerv46_msn.its51/$content$/cry_smile.gif

This Cryly is brought to you with Microsoft's Bandwidth.

[CPUWIZ]

Personally I could care less about XBOX modchips since you can make your own for $5.00,- bucks anyway but not being able to buy all the other cool stuff Lik-Sang was selling is what really ticks me off. I know I could trust those guys with my orders, now I have to take chances again.

BASTARDS :mad:

[Raedon]

can you point me to the site that shows you how to make a $5.00 mod chip?

[WiseSalesman]

Wow, I've had it about up to here with everyone who thinks mod-chips just plain shouldn't exist. Unless you can absolutely, certifiably prove that you have never downloaded an mp3, used copied software, copied a video tape, or dubbed a CD on to tape, shut the hell up, and stop being so sanctimonious. This is directed at no one on this board in particular, but all the people that like to ridicule "software pirates".

As I side note, I don't pirate games, I only import, strictly based on morals and karma. I do, however, download MP3s, and I have at least two pieces of illegal software right now, therefore, I don't feel it's my right to tell anyone that software piracy is "wrong". "Let he among us without sin be the first to condemn."

[Li Wang]

Wasn't Lik Sang starting to slip up with orders recently, anyway? I've heard a few different stories, but the backlit GBA fiasco immediately comes to mind. At any rate it isn't the only store you can get the stuff they sold.

What people should really be angry about is the god damn DMCA. Before it's inception, all mods, etc were legal. For anyone about to make accusations or sarcastic remarks about intellectual property, this is an entirely different issue altogether. Basically, the DMCA once again confirms that big buisiness is considered more important than the individual right of private citizens. Hacking the security of a video game system or DVD player in and of itself is a crime regardless of the intent (or lack thereofr) of the person doing it.

Did any of the asses in congress care that the institution of the DMCA also inadvertently trampled the only way for you to get your fair use rights out of DVDs you own? Of course not. I'm trailing off topic now, but I think people need to be made aware of the fact that they need to refocus their anger. If shitty acts like the DMCA didn't exist in the first place, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo wouldn't be able to constantly abuse them.

As for the loss of Lik Sang, don't worry. For every one that goes down many more will pop up.

[slapdash]

What people should really be angry about is the god damn DMCA.

I am angry about it, and post about it from time to time.


Before it's inception, all mods, etc were legal.

Sort of... Any legally reverse-engineered mods that had any legitimate uses were legal.


For anyone about to make accusations or sarcastic remarks about intellectual property, this is an entirely different issue altogether.

Right, this is one thing that is wrong about the DMCA -- it removes your right to make intellectual property based on prior intellectual property.


Basically, the DMCA once again confirms that big buisiness is considered more important than the individual right of private citizens. Hacking the security of a video game system or DVD player in and of itself is a crime regardless of the intent (or lack thereofr) of the person doing it.

If you want to reverse-engineer the security scheme to figure out how to make a better one, yup, that's illegal; that was never a crime before. Pirating software, however was always a crime, and still is.

This is what really fries me about the DMCA -- the things that the DMCA is supposedly trying to prevent are already illegal, but makes criminal far more things that have never BEEN illegal, and for good reason.


Did any of the asses in congress care that the institution of the DMCA also inadvertently trampled the only way for you to get your fair use rights out of DVDs you own? Of course not.

Did you hear about the Norwegian teenager that got arrested for violating the DMCA? It's not like Norway is the 51st state or anything... Or the Russian guy who got arrested here? Hmm... So at least it isn't just taking OUR rights...

[Sylentwulf]

Wasn't Lik Sang starting to slip up with orders recently, anyway? I've heard a few different stories, but the backlit GBA fiasco immediately comes to mind. At any rate it isn't the only store you can get the stuff they sold.


I'd LOVE to see the other places you can get these items at these prices. I had JUST started buying from lik sang, now I'm Shit outta luck. Lan kwei is close, but still about double the price.

[Li Wang]

Did you hear about the Norwegian teenager that got arrested for violating the DMCA?

Oh, of course. And now he's actually facing criminal charges for which he may spend 2 years in prison:

http://www.2600.com/news/display.shtml?id=1289

For awhile it was ambiguous whether he was going to be seriously charged, but it's been official for a few months now.

I highly recommend the DeCSS Panel MP3 they have up from H2K2. There are a few nice anecdotes about how paranoid the MPAA people were around the 2600 guys in court and they discuss how grandpa Valenti hasn't had a clue what he's talking about for decades.

[Iron Monkey]

It is wrong. Microsoft will pay for these crimes.

[geekgirl101]

Holy moley! :shock: Well, in one sense I'm kinda glad since Lik Sang ripped me off £150 when they sent me a Flash cartridge for my GBA that cost £120 through UPS. Those gits charged an extra £80 for customs and handling, and when I refused to pay it and told them to send it back, Lik Sang said that I would have to pay for handling and importing it from Japan and back, which cost me a further £30. Robbing bastards. :(

[IGotTheDot]

It's up again with an explanation.

http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=2707

[Raedon]

They have TG16 loose HU cards for 5.99 now
http://www.lik-sang.com/list.php?category=12&