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Home > Archive > Xbox forum > February 2006 > Mod Chips
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| Bryan 2006-02-25, 10:29 pm |
| What is a mod chip?
What does it do?
What does it do that is legal?
What does it do that is illegal?
Is it illegal to add a mod chip to an xbox? If so, why?
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| Ron Lowe 2006-02-25, 10:29 pm |
| In-Line...
"Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
news:1VkAf.15555$Yu.9077@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
quote:
> What is a mod chip?
A small circuit board you add to the XBOX main circuit board.
quote:
> What does it do?
It contains a replacement BIOS chip, which contains a modified ( 'hacked' )
BIOS which bypasses the security measures in the original BIOS, and thus
permits unsigned software to be run.
quote:
> What does it do that is legal?
It may permit you to run LINUX or other software of your own creation on the
XBOX.
quote:
> What does it do that is illegal?
It also permits you to run pirate copies of games.
quote:
> Is it illegal to add a mod chip to an xbox? If so, why?
Possibly, indeed probably...
The act of installing the mod-chip without any firmware on it is probably
not a problem. But the mod chip is of no use till you put a modified BIOS
into it. Installing the hacked BIOS is probably illegal in many countries,
for the following reasons:
1) It is an unauthorised re-distribution of copyright code;
2) Reverse engineering and defeating copy-protection mechanisms may be
illegal in your country.
--
Best Regards
Ron Lowe
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|
| If the code in the chip is bought and paid for, just like the chip, then
installing it is not illegal.
One good use of a chip is to replace a bad hard drive, since it lets you
unlock/lock a new one.
"Ron Lowe" <ron-msng@{d.e.l.e.t.e}lowe-family.me.uk> wrote in message
news:u2OL%23hrHGHA.2212@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
quote:
> In-Line...
>
>
> "Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
> news:1VkAf.15555$Yu.9077@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> A small circuit board you add to the XBOX main circuit board.
>
>
> It contains a replacement BIOS chip, which contains a modified (
> 'hacked' ) BIOS which bypasses the security measures in the original BIOS,
> and thus permits unsigned software to be run.
>
>
> It may permit you to run LINUX or other software of your own creation on
> the XBOX.
>
>
> It also permits you to run pirate copies of games.
>
>
> Possibly, indeed probably...
>
> The act of installing the mod-chip without any firmware on it is probably
> not a problem. But the mod chip is of no use till you put a modified BIOS
> into it. Installing the hacked BIOS is probably illegal in many
> countries, for the following reasons:
>
> 1) It is an unauthorised re-distribution of copyright code;
> 2) Reverse engineering and defeating copy-protection mechanisms may be
> illegal in your country.
>
>
> --
> Best Regards
> Ron Lowe
>
>
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| Ron Lowe 2006-02-25, 10:29 pm |
|
"Tom" <wtf@wtf.com> wrote in message
news:uMaizKLIGHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
quote:
> If the code in the chip is bought and paid for, just like the chip, then
> installing it is not illegal.
Depends.
A pirated DVD you buy from a street trader is 'bought and paid for', but is
not legal in most countries.
It comes down to what country you are in ( laws vary ) , and who owns the
copyright on the firmware image.
If the person selling the firmware is the copyright holder, or has
permission from the copyright holder, then there's no problem. So if
someone wrote a new BIOS from the ground up, that's probably OK too.
However, if the vendor has simply hacked the MS BIOS, then a large amount of
the code that is being sold to you is MS's intellectual property, and not
the vendor's to sell. This un-authorised selling of copied MS firware is
probably not legal in many countries.
On a second point, the act of hacking the BIOS and /or installing a hacked
BIOS may be illegal in many countries due to provisions of Digital Rights
legislation which make it illegal to reverse-engineer or defeat coyright
protection schemes. Depending on which jurisdiction you live in , the
simple act of defeating the lock-down mechanisms may be illegal, regardless
of from whom or where you bought it.
quote:
> One good use of a chip is to replace a bad hard drive, since it lets you
> unlock/lock a new one.
Yes, I agree there are many legitimate reasons you might want to run a
modified BIOS.
--
Best Regards
Ron Lowe
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| Lol, I am an IP R&D Engineer, so I understand this.
Though the mod chips you buy in the states are authored here, too.
By the way, ever researched what happens to IP overseas?
I won't say where exactly, only far, far from here.
"Ron Lowe" <ron-msng@{d.e.l.e.t.e}lowe-family.me.uk> wrote in message
news:OjYblwNIGHA.376@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
quote:
>
> "Tom" <wtf@wtf.com> wrote in message
> news:uMaizKLIGHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>
> Depends.
> A pirated DVD you buy from a street trader is 'bought and paid for', but
> is not legal in most countries.
>
> It comes down to what country you are in ( laws vary ) , and who owns the
> copyright on the firmware image.
> If the person selling the firmware is the copyright holder, or has
> permission from the copyright holder, then there's no problem. So if
> someone wrote a new BIOS from the ground up, that's probably OK too.
> However, if the vendor has simply hacked the MS BIOS, then a large amount
> of the code that is being sold to you is MS's intellectual property, and
> not the vendor's to sell. This un-authorised selling of copied MS
> firware is probably not legal in many countries.
>
> On a second point, the act of hacking the BIOS and /or installing a hacked
> BIOS may be illegal in many countries due to provisions of Digital Rights
> legislation which make it illegal to reverse-engineer or defeat coyright
> protection schemes. Depending on which jurisdiction you live in , the
> simple act of defeating the lock-down mechanisms may be illegal,
> regardless of from whom or where you bought it.
>
>
> Yes, I agree there are many legitimate reasons you might want to run a
> modified BIOS.
>
>
>
> --
> Best Regards
> Ron Lowe
>
>
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