In The Land of the Rising Sun, uploading files like video games is against the law, but Japanese gamers who download these titles were always able to play dumb in the past and say they didn’t know.
According to the changes implemented starting this January, a new amendment states that individuals who know they are downloading illegal content are breaking the law.
So how do gamers know about these changes? New DSi titles like Hudson game Momotaro Dentetsu World featuring warning screens like this that inform gamers of the changes, and thus, essentially eradicating any legal manoeuvring whatsoever.
The warning message appears not only when the game boots the first time, but also each time the game is turned on. Not every new game has the warning message. For example, Mario Vs. Donkey: Mini-Land Mayhem, which went on sale the same day as Momotaro Dentetsu World does not. But that doesn’t one day that all games won’t.
違法行為禁止 ― DSゲーム起動時に警告メッセージ [インサイド]
Jason Nguyen
Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 11:27 AMHmm.. but then the guy who rip the games to rom could remove that screen, and hence the ignorance defence could still be used.
Abodi
Sunday, December 5, 2010 at 10:24 AMnot true jason, all the prosecutors would have to do is show you own a game with he message, and say, you should have known downloading was illegal.
Cerzel
Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 4:26 PMOh boy! More annoying screens to sit through before being able to play the game! I can’t wait!
bleach1st
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 5:00 PMI know… I was thinking the exact same thing, as if we don’t already have to sit through enough annoying screens when a game starts… :|