14 DAY TRIAL // Mod chip modification of Sony's Play Station has been declared a legal operation in Australia. The first problems emerged four years ago, when Eddy Stevens started to sell Play Station mod chips.
When the console was introduced, Sony divided the gaming market in regions, so that the titles sold in America or in Asia couldn't be run in Australia. But the copyright mechanisms preventing users from running the games can be "fooled" by the so-called mod (modification) chips.
By installing them, the Australian gamers were able to run on their consoles cheaper games produced in Asia or in America.
Eddy Stevens was one of the modders; his activities didn't please Sony too much, so they've decided to sue him.
After four years of trials, the Australian High Court has unanimously decided that changing a console in order to run cheaper games is not illegal. Installing a counterfeit game is considered as illegal, but Eddy Stevens' activity has been rated as legal.
Nathan Mattock, Stevens's lawyer, stated for AP that the Australian court's decision could force Sony to rethink its regional code policy. Sony Australia's spokesperson said that the company doesn't have any comments regarding the decision of the Australian court.
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