Sony loses ModChip case in Australia!

[Blane]

Owners of PlayStation consoles who modify their machines to play games bought overseas have had a win in the Federal Court. Sony Computer Entertainment has failed in its claim that "chipping" breaks copyright laws...
Sony launched legal proceedings against a Sydney man, Eddy Stevens, for allegedly selling pirated games and also providing and installing modification chips. PlayStation consoles in Australia are different from those in the US and Japan because of the different television formats.

The court was told "chipping" allows people to play legitimately bought overseas games and copies of games, but also pirated games.

The judgement by Federal Court Justice Ronald Sackville says Sony failed to prove that PlayStation consoles have a copyright protection measure installed in the first place and therefore could not rule that a mod chip breaks copyright legislation. Mr Stevens was found to have infringed trademark rules in relation to the pirated games he sold a matter which will come before the court again next month.

[VIPER_1069]

EXCELLENT NEWS THERE BLANE !!! always knew that chipping a psx or owning a chipped psx wasent against the law just the piracy side of it or copywrite of the game logos and content were the law breaking stuff !!

[Armagan1]

good news for CM.

[Boondi]

Great news. It's a sad day when you cannot backup your own games or play different region games when you pay good money for the in the first place.

[ChickenMan]

Thats great news indead that its has now been officially announced, though Sony will appeal the courts decision. I think they are fighting a loosing battle though.

What we now want is the same rule against DVD producers for them forcing Region coding on us. I understand the ACCC is currently investigating this and first indications is that this is againt the Trade Practices Act. That is why 99% of DVD Players sold in Australia support multi-region playback. Although an official courts decision would be good to hear.

[Armagan1]

%100 of major DVD players are region free in my country too, otherwise noone would pay a dime for them..

[ABCMan]

full story htp://news.ninemsn.com.au/Sci_Tech/story_36345.asp