A California state college student was arrested for modifying gaming console hardware to bypass copy protection technology. Matthew Lloyd Crippen, 27, or Anaheim was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday following indictment by a federal grand jury on two counts of violating provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), each count carrying a maximum of five years imprisonment.
Crippen is accused of profiting by modifying Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo video game consoles to enable booting of pirate copies of video games. Investigators seized more than a dozen video game consoles which were found in his home. "Playing with games in this way is not a game -- it is criminal," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of the ICE investigations office in Los Angeles.
He continued: "Piracy, counterfeiting and other intellectual property rights violations not only cost U.S. businesses jobs and billions of dollars a year in lost revenue, they can also pose significant health and safety risks to consumers."
The ICE investigation which lead to Crippen's arrested was based on a tip from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
He continued: "Piracy, counterfeiting and other intellectual property rights violations not only cost U.S. businesses jobs and billions of dollars a year in lost revenue, they can also pose significant health and safety risks to consumers."
The ICE investigation which lead to Crippen's arrested was based on a tip from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
