College Student Arrested for Modding Consoles

[Flack]

LOS ANGELES - A Southern California college student has been arrested on federal charges that he illegally modified video game consoles to enable the machines to play pirated video games.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 27-year-old Matthew Crippen was released Monday night after posting $5,000 bond. The California State University, Fullerton student who lives in Anaheim is accused of modifying Xbox, PlayStation and Wii consoles in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents got a tip from the Entertainment Software Association and searched Crippen's home in May. He was indicted on two counts by a federal grand jury. Crippen faces 10 years in prison if convicted and is scheduled for arraignment on Aug. 10. Attempts to reach Crippen for comment were unsuccessful.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/200908...eo_game_arrest

[BetaWolf47]

Dang, that's a harsh conviction. The amount he was fined was probably more than Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft lost from him total.

[Kuros]

Console modding, now worse than manslaughter.

[LifeGame]

10 years is absurd beyond anything! Pedophiles ruin lives and they dont even do a year, wow!

[blitzchamp]

I feel bad for the guy, sure piracy is wrong...but is it really worth 10 years of someones life. The copyright of entertainment media really gets away with murder with such harsh punishments.

[Flack]

I feel bad for the guy, sure piracy is wrong...but is it really worth 10 years of someones life. The copyright of entertainment media really gets away with murder with such harsh punishments.

This guy was not arrested for piracy. He was arrested for installing mod chips.

[blitzchamp]

This guy was not arrested for piracy. He was arrested for installing mod chips.

Oh sorry I misunderstood.

[Sonicwolf]

10 years for installing mod chips, 1 year and parole for accosting children. The USA needs an adjustment in the justic system methinks.

Not that the Canadian justice system is any better

[Steve1978]

The most serious crimes in the eyes of the U.S. justice system are those which annoy or take imaginary monies from large corporations. If your existence doesn't function to make the rich richer than you're a criminal.

[Overbite]

They're giving him such a huge punishment to make an example out of him in hopes other people won't do what he did.

But they still will and nothing will change.

[SegaAges]

Rapists get about 5 years. I know because cops had to hold me back from destroying one with my fists.

pedophile, 1 year
rapist, 5 years
installing mod chips, 10 years
knowing that the judicial system is totally fucked up, priceless

[roushimsx]

He was probably charging people a nice fee for his "services" and then providing them with pirated games at an additional fee.

I've yet to see the feds crack down on anyone that just mods consoles for recreation; everyone they've busted has also had a nice piracy operation running alongside the modding operation. These are the degenerate fuckers that give console modding a bad name for the rest of us.

Fuck this guy.

[Blitzwing256]

let the fucker rot in prison, he did something knowlingly illegal and its his own fault, he gets no pitty from me.

[TonyTheTiger]

Well, facing time doesn't necessarily mean that he'll serve that time. First degree murderers face life imprisonment but, as we all know, not every single one of them gets that. If he's convicted, it's entirely possible (and probably likely) he'll get off with far less than a convicted rapist.

[Kuros]

let the fucker rot in prison, he did something knowlingly illegal and its his own fault, he gets no pitty from me.

1. It's pity

2. You agree with someone who mods consoles should get more time than a rapist?

[Greg2600]

The most serious crimes in the eyes of the U.S. justice system are those which annoy or take imaginary monies from large corporations. If your existence doesn't function to make the rich richer than you're a criminal.

You got that right! Well said.

[IcBlUsCrN]

1. It's pity

2. You agree with someone who mods consoles should get more time than a rapist?

thats not the point , its a consequence you now about it before you do the crime that there is one and decide to do it anyway, well then F.U. rot in jail.

i agree as well , no pity.

sure the sentencing sucks but that's another issue altogether

[Blitzwing256]

1. It's pity

2. You agree with someone who mods consoles should get more time than a rapist?

carefully re-read what I said, and did you see anywhere in there that I think he should get more time then a rapist? learn to read before you open your mouth and stick your foot in it.

[Cobra Commander]

The thing I find most fucked up is these kinds of cases are criminal offenses and not civil.
I'm no lawyer of course, but it doesn't make sense to me.
I don't care if he was modding consoles for all his friends and handing out discs with GB's of games on them. 10 years is insane.

[Berserker]

thats not the point , its a consequence you now about it before you do the crime that there is one and decide to do it anyway, well then F.U. rot in jail.

i agree as well , no pity.

sure the sentencing sucks but that's another issue altogether

Then what is the point - to obey without question what is essentially state-sanctioned corporate policy, no matter how ridiculous and oppressive it may be?