News UK R4 importer sentenced to one year in prison

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2010/01/19/uk-r4-importer-sentenced-to-one-year-in-pri/1

A UK resident who imported R4 devices for piracy on the Nintendo DS has been sentenced to one year in prison.

 

Not really sure about the laws on this, but how did this guy do anything illegal? Sure, he imported something that's often used for piracy, but if he isn't using it for that himself, or at least selling it with specific disclaimers saying that he does not endorse using it for illicit purposes, then how is he doing anything wrong?

 

My thoughts exactly. I was not aware that the R4 and other carts were illegal to buy, sell or own.

 

technically if you have the software it is ilegal

and the r4 is very old
it was replaced about 3-4years ago by m3simply then by something else i think it was the m3 real

 

I think we can assume here that he was selling them while advocating their use as a pirating tool, either through the inclusion of bundled games or advertising it as a way to pirate games.

 

I get how using pirated software is illegal, but as they can use custom software, how can he go to jail for importing them? That's like being sent to jail for having knives in your kitchen. Sure they could be used to stab somebody, but they can also be used to chop carrots.

 

And FWIW, I am pleased that this is making the limelight.
I truly believe that £30 for a game that gives hours of entertainment is reasonable value. I have racked up nearly 2 days on Mod Warfare 2, and that works out at just over 50p per hour of gaming. I will not ever see pirating as socially acceptable. Especially in instances like this, where its more often a "kids" console and what the hell are we teaching kids if we say "don't bother saving up for it, I will get it illegally for you".
And then we wonder why they don't wait until they are 18 to smoke or drink.
"But it's illegal" we cry.
"So what" they say.
Yep, we've done a good job of teaching our kids morals

 

Yeah I don't quite get it myself, the owner of kitchens hasn't been imprisoned because he sells weapons or the creator of BitTorrent because it is used to illegally share files.

I could kind of get it if he were being sued, but he's broken no laws.

 

I'm confused , major online stores like Aria are selling R5 clones (albeit with no firmware, they just link to where you 'might' be able to download it).

What's the legality here? I know Nintendo would like us all to believe the carts are illegal, but is it a case of legal cart/illegal software?

Is there any additional details on the case? The article says he "(plead) guilty to importing R4 devices into country", were they chocked fill of pirated ROMs? Importing carts alone doesn't seem like a crime to me, if I'm wrong, Aria is in a lot of trouble....

 

Doesn't the UK have a promoting piracy law I'm american so I'm not sure but i thought i saw a different case that had that charge, or was it Sweden?

 

having brought so much joy to so many kiddies this is a shame

 

Was anyone ever sued for the fake gameboy cartridges you could buy in Picadilly and etc?

 

I'm not really sure that should be the case, since the software does have legitimate uses for playing howbrew games. It's no more illegal than say, actual BitTorrent software.

 

actually they were rom hacks that were free ware and sold on cartidges just look at pokecomunity to see what i mean
a lot of the fake games are actually rom hacks i think rijon is one and im not sure about toxic purple

 

<sarcasm>Human rights are alive and well in UK, I see.</sarcasm>
Seriously, pretty soon even saying the word "illegal" aloud will be punishable by death in UK. When will your government stop pretending to be a democracy and just let the Big Business rule as they wish? They can already have their own police, why not give them full authority?. UK has as much democracy as Cuba, that's why I left your country despite starting a successful company, I just couldn't stand a country with CCTV cameras in toilets and on every square centimeter of every wall.

This was not a flame, rather a sad remark (so read it with a sad voice in your head)

 

Sorry dude, but I love my country.

 

The trouble with these things now is that I personally don't know who to side with Pirates or IP owners. Both are now as bad as each other. Yet unfortunately, as a customer, i`m caught in the middle of both camps, both morally and legally. On one hand you get the truly absurd and obscene amounts of money that a lot of people make in the entire entertainment industry, but on the other you get people plainly profiteering from things that they didn't originate. Back on the first hand you get stupid region coding, EULAs and treat everyone like a criminal mentality that sees loads of FAST adverts at the beginning of DVDs to people downloading music or demanding content for free with no thought to infrastructure.
So rampant profiteering or pirating, heinous business desicions or criminal activity, ethics or morality?
Let me put it this way. I recently found out, because a change in circumstances caused me to look, that the Wii quite happily plays dvds, but you have to go and have cack-handed fun making it do so. In so doing however, i don't have to fork out for a replacement dvd player for the kids bedroom, not invest in extra sockets etc, which means i can buy more dvds or games.......Or i can buy a new dvd player, have less money--you can see where this goes! Now as a normal person i`ve just entered a huge grey area, but with a perfectly reasonable request, and heaven forbid i want to play anything from Japan or the USA. My playing choice is being dictated.
In the case of the DS, is the R4 the answer to problems i may want to address in future? Something the DS doesn't allow me now. Apparently you can play films on it! Ones i legally own (or think i do, but may not depending on the licencing agreement i may have skiped past)- saves me carrying a whole load of devices about!
In the end i`m left where i started.Who knows? Neither camp is getting any sympathy from me; i`m absolutely against stealing, but the industry really makes me want to do it, just to piss somebody off as much as they have done me!

 

Well said, mate!

 

I was just about to say.

Aria have an R4 for sale Aria R4.

 

He must have included the software, these carts are sold everywhere, and people aren't being locked up for them.