ImCal
20th February 2008, 18:40
Warning the following shop was raided today they chip consoles - this is just incase you are planning to send a console to be chipped etc
_http://www.whitedog.co.uk/catalog/contact_us.php
Trading standards officers investigating the sale of suspected illegal games consoles have raided a shop.
The owner of the shop in Stoke-on-Trent is suspected of modifying the consoles to bypass the copy protection systems, which is known as "chipping".
The raid, at a shop in Longport, took place as a result of investigation by trading standards and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA). More than 20 games consoles were seized during the operation.
Officers from the county's trading standards and Staffordshire Police carried out the raid on January 8, and the property seized is being examined for evidence of chipping.
Trading standards officials are expected to make a decision on whether to prosecute the suspect within four to six weeks.
Consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation 3, pictured, can be modified by chips that are soldered to a console's main circuit board to bypass copyright controls.
A chipped console will play pirated games and games purchased legitimately in other regions of the world.
Trading standards had carried out test purchases at the raided shop as part of the investigation.
During the operation, 20 Xbox 360 consoles, four Nintendo Wii consoles, two PCs and 200 chips were removed from the premises. ELSPA experts are currently carrying out a detailed examination of the equipment.
Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: "This raid came as a result of a thorough and professional investigation by Staffordshire trading standards department and ELSPA investigators."
The modification of video games consoles has been an illegal practice since October 2003, when the UK enacted the EU Copyright Directive.
The first person to be convicted of the offence was a 22-year-old Cambridge graduate in 2005, who was sentenced to 140 hours' community service.
Brandon Cook, head of fraud and community safety for Staffordshire County Council, added: "This operation has been a great success and will send a message out that chipping and counterfeiting will be investigated and offenders prosecuted.
"The purchase of counterfeit games affects genuine local businesses and the economy, as well as proven links to serious organised crime."
_http://www.whitedog.co.uk/catalog/contact_us.php
Trading standards officers investigating the sale of suspected illegal games consoles have raided a shop.
The owner of the shop in Stoke-on-Trent is suspected of modifying the consoles to bypass the copy protection systems, which is known as "chipping".
The raid, at a shop in Longport, took place as a result of investigation by trading standards and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA). More than 20 games consoles were seized during the operation.
Officers from the county's trading standards and Staffordshire Police carried out the raid on January 8, and the property seized is being examined for evidence of chipping.
Trading standards officials are expected to make a decision on whether to prosecute the suspect within four to six weeks.
Consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation 3, pictured, can be modified by chips that are soldered to a console's main circuit board to bypass copyright controls.
A chipped console will play pirated games and games purchased legitimately in other regions of the world.
Trading standards had carried out test purchases at the raided shop as part of the investigation.
During the operation, 20 Xbox 360 consoles, four Nintendo Wii consoles, two PCs and 200 chips were removed from the premises. ELSPA experts are currently carrying out a detailed examination of the equipment.
Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: "This raid came as a result of a thorough and professional investigation by Staffordshire trading standards department and ELSPA investigators."
The modification of video games consoles has been an illegal practice since October 2003, when the UK enacted the EU Copyright Directive.
The first person to be convicted of the offence was a 22-year-old Cambridge graduate in 2005, who was sentenced to 140 hours' community service.
Brandon Cook, head of fraud and community safety for Staffordshire County Council, added: "This operation has been a great success and will send a message out that chipping and counterfeiting will be investigated and offenders prosecuted.
"The purchase of counterfeit games affects genuine local businesses and the economy, as well as proven links to serious organised crime."