UK bans R4 mod cards for Nintendo DS
updated 12:05 pm EDT, Wed July 28, 2010
UK issues ban on R4 mod cards for Nintendo DS
The London high Court in the UK has passed a ruling that bans importing, advertising and selling R4 cards from Playables Limited in the country. The R4 is an accessory that lets users play custom code and illegally pirated games on Nintendo's DS handheld gaming console. The defendants in the case, Wai Dat Chan and Playables Limited, argued that the R4 lets users play games they created themselves but the court said the R4 must first get around Nintendo's security systems, which is what makes it illegal.
Nintendo supported the court's decision and has already gone after illegal copiers on its own. It has contended that more than 1,400 video game developers depend on income from sales of the original games and that R4 deprives them of a living.
Earlier in July in Holland, 11 retailers were convicted of illegally importing the R4 devices. Nintendo said it was successfully prosecuted 20 people selling game copying devices in Germany.
