MS shuts down Lik Sang? (1 Viewer)

[Edan W]

This story is posted on CNET, among others. Apparently, MS has released the legal hounds on Lik Sang because of their mod chips:
MS sues Lik Sang?

 

[Chris Duran]

I think it's good Microsoft is taking action against Lik Sang, Sony and Nintendo should do the same, sure mod chips when used for what they are supposed to be used for like importing is great, but they are mostly used to be able to play copied games, which is not cool at all and really hurts the industry.

 

[Josh Lowe]

Then you won't mind if Microsoft sues all companies that make DVD burners because they can potentially be used to copy games, right? :rolleyes

 

[Andre F]

Then you won't mind if Microsoft sues all companies that make DVD burners because they can potentially be used to copy games, right?

I don't see a burner being quite the same as a mod chip. A mod actually changes the way a product was meant to be used. I had have too much knowledge in this are so I may be out of bounds but I think that's an apples vs oranges kind of comparison...

 

[Josh Lowe]

I don't see a burner being quite the same as a mod chip. A mod actually changes the way a product was meant to be used. I had have too much knowledge in this are so I may be out of bounds but I think that's an apples vs oranges kind of comparison...

And what right does Microsoft have to dictate what people do to a game console that they paid for? If I want to run Linux on my XBox, what business is it of Bill Gates'?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Once you get the hardware, you can turn it into a planter if you want to

MS CAN lock you out of XB Live if you're chipped, and be perfectly within their rights, but they cannot stop you from chipping

I would never chip another system if they'd remove region coding

 

[BrianB]

MS CAN lock you out of XB Live if you're chipped, and be perfectly within their rights, but they cannot stop you from chipping

In the US, isn't modchipping breaking the DMCA?

 

[Josh Lowe]

Probably so, and yet another reason why absurd laws like the DMCA need to be ignored en masse so the government gets it through their heads that the people won't put up for that kind of bullshit.

 

[Andre F]

And what right does Microsoft have to dictate what people do to a game console that they paid for? If I want to run Linux on my XBox, what business is it of Bill Gates'?

I knew I should have stayed out of this one but...obviously if you want use your Xbox as doorstop after buying then so be it. I just don't happen to support to mod chips. I never had one and don't ever plan to. I have a friend who does this kind of stuff all the time and I don't engage in any of those activities. I know mod chips can used for playing imports etc and that's cool but from what I've seen first hand it's mostly used for pirating games, which is something I don't think is very cool at all. Remember, this is all just my opinion...

 

[Josh Lowe]

Yes, piracy is bad, mmkay. Cars can be used for a lot of cool things, but unfortunately some people use them to kill other people with. A lot of good and useful things can be abused by people with bad intentions. That doesn't give Microsoft the right to beat down anyone that dares innovate without paying tithe to Mighty Bill.

 

[Chris Bardon]

These kind of arguments have always bothered me, since the proponents of both sides really don't make any sense. Here's the way I see things:

Imports-is this really such a big deal? How many people do you really think are going to go to the effort to import legal copies of software? Five, maybe ten percent of your console owners? Take the coding out, and you can shut chip manufactures down with impunity.

Custom software-This is trickier. I think that what MS is worried about is that they want to make sure that they control the standards and profits for all software published on the Xbox. As a different strategy though, what about making a version of the development kit available that ties itself to a single Xbox system for hobbyist developers? This way people can experiment all they want, but can only make discs that will read on their own personal Xbox. If they want to distribute source online (say for Xbox-MAME), those that were interested could compile their own versions to play on their boxes. This really doesn't hurt anyone, and the restriction ensures that nobody can use this kit to self-publish software that can circumvent MS publishing agreements and licence fees.

Other than those two cases, I really can't think of any real reason why a modchip would be required (other than to copy games), making most of the larger chip-seller's "fronts" obselete. It would also let MS target modchip makers more aggessively, since there would no longer be any logical legal reason for anyone to chip their box.

 

[Dean Cooper]

I think the main issue here is that Lik Sang had to reverse engineer the Xbox technology in order to make the mod chip in the first place. That should be 100% illegal in my book.

Dean

 

[Dave F]

Isn't the issue really about the bootlegged BIOS on some o the chips?

-Dave

 

[BrianB]

I think the main issue here is that Lik Sang had to reverse engineer the Xbox technology in order to make the mod chip in the first place. That should be 100% illegal in my book.

Reverse engineering isn't illegal if you do it correctly. Blatantly nicking code from the BIOS, which is allegedly what happened, /is/ illegal.

We really don't have enough facts yet to judge what happened.

 

[Ryan Peter]

A lot of good and useful things can be abused by people with bad intentions.

Agreed. Oxygen can be used by people to respirate and live, but it can also be used by people to get HIGH!!! We're lucky they don't ban Oxygen because everyone would be DEAD!!!
( )

 

[felix_suwarno]

only lik sang? as far as i can tell, back in south east asia, there are still a lot of mod chips available. the government doesnt even care about piracy, it seems like they are supporting it.

every single game store in jakarta / indonesia sells pirated games, i mean it. i heard that microsoft sued 3 to 6 shops last year, but i didnt get to know the result. i felt like everything was kept a secret. and now...there are still pirated games every god damn where. i am sure they got the mod chips from either taiwan or hongkong, but i really have no idea how they imported these chips. perhaps the answer is closer than i thought it is...just pay the officials some money and everything is set. that country is one of the most corrupt in this planet.

 

[BrianB]

Lik Sang was allegedly a large investor in the recent "OpenXBox" modchip, as well as being a /very/ high profile exporter to the US to individuals as well as resellers. Same with their "partner" business Visoly.
Nintendo went after them recently too with regards to GBA flash carts & Ninty seemed to be successful in getting US Customs to stop/search pretty much every Lik Sang package for a while. Ninty have hounded Bung (historically, the main creator of copy gear for Nintendo machines) for years. In fact, I believe Nintendo have a long standing injunction against Bung that prevents them from selling/advertising any of their Nintendo copier tech in the US.
http://pocket-monsters.virtualave.ne.../nintendo.html