UK R4 importer jailed

A UK resident has been sent down for 12 months after pleading guilty to illegally importing R4 cards.

Yun Can Meng got 12 months for importing not just one or two R4 carts but over 26,500. Chances are he was part of something big and illegal.

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Association's (ELSPA) Crime Unit, Hull City Council Trading Standards Department and the Humberside Police all joined forces to deliver the hammer of justice in Hull Crown Criminal Court.

ELSPA team leader Michael Ralinson said, "Our crime unit is pleased with the outcome of this trial and pleased to see the Court of Appeal's copyright judgement is being robustly enforced. Intellectual property (IP) theft is an important issue for the country's videogames industry - as is protecting it."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

WTF? They haven't done anything illegal, this is like arresting someone for selling screwdrivers because someone was using them to break into cars!

What was the actual charge? It wouldn't surprise me if they got him on an import technicality, which if true means that ELSPA should have nothing to do with it!

Astounding, there are other flash carts that are newer and better but it always seem to be the R4 cart that gets the most attention from anti-piracy motives. Maybe I'm missing something here, someone please feel free to tell me about it if so.

Are the court records published online? I'm not seeing them on http://www.bailii.org/ yet.

I'm interested in reading more about this (not ELSPA's press releases, but the actual court records).

(Yun Can Meng pleaded guity on 8th December 2009)