Divineo stung with USD $9 million piracy fine

[Darksaviour69]

Electronics retailer Divineo has been slapped with a fine of more than USD $9 million (EUR 7.1 million) for selling and distributing mod chips and HDLoader software.

The HDLoader allows full games to be downloaded and stored on a PS2 hard drive, and is considered key software used for console piracy.

"Mod chips and HDLoaders are key elements in facilitating video game piracy because they allow people to play illegally copied games on illegally modified video game consoles," said Ric Hirsch, senior VP of intellectual property enforcement for America's Entertainment Software Association.

"This court order is very important because it recognises the significant damage that mod chips and HDLoaders cause the entertainment software industry and delivers the clear message that trafficking in circumvention devices that enable game piracy will result in heavy penalties," he added.

The ruling took place on September 11th in the US District Court of California.

Source gamesindustry.biz

Bad news for homebrew?

[r00t]

These guys have been threating the Backup scene, P2P for so long now. It's gone past the point of seeming serious and into the comical.

[John Vattic]

Is there even a Dinineo in America? And if not why is no country stopping Americas attempt to Nazi on the world? And thirdly, why is it on the famous occultist holiday known as September 11?

I smell a Fourth Reich brewing in America and the hops in this brew are flavorless.

[shrimpidy]

Thats a lot of money.

[The_Ultimate_Eggman]

Thats a lot of money.

Not to a company like that that has made 10's of millions basically condoning and selling the tools to comit piracy its not.you dice with death sooner or later the reaper will come a knockin.

[nonarKitten]

I agree completely that the US has gone beyond protecting its own interests. There's a disturbing trend of the US asserting, if not forcing its own absurd and draconian laws on other countries, but more-so that through economic force, that these countries accept it, like an abused housewife.

[mog]

Why is it that a US court that is suing a company based in France?

Also, it's interesting how Divineo's website is still selling modchips to the US...
€7.1m hasn't stopped them!

[E.J.]

But... Divineo USA doesn't sell modchips or anything like that, it's Divineo China, i don't think they (in the USA) have the rights to sue a company in another country, do they?

[Dickhead]

We are living in a ever changing world thats not perfect and will never will be

[Sanka]

This is the last thing the Scene needs.

just because they registered their trade in the US.

This is the last time we tell america anything.
Screw the American Government.
We wanna Play, Mod, and Backup.