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[Vengeance]

PlayStation pirate network uncovered
Posted Wed, 22 Dec 2004

A five-year piracy investigation by Sony has discovered that its popular PlayStation consoles are being assembled in a Chinese prison, a news report said on Wednesday.

The inquiry has unearthed a network of at least 10 pirate operations with a production capacity of 50 000 units a day for PlayStation consoles and controllers, as well as modifying chips, the Financial Times said in a dispatch from Shanghai.

A Sony Corp. spokesperson declined comment on the report, referring queries to the company's game producing arm Sony Computer Entertainment, which makes PlayStation. Officials there could not be reached for immediate comment.

The Financial Times said Sony's investigators, in one instance, followed a container loaded at one of the pirate factories into a prison in Shenzhen, where it stayed for a number of days, long enough for components to be assembled by inmates.

The factories Sony identified as part of the piracy ring have been raided numerous times by the Chinese authorities and their owners fined in recent years, the newspaper said.

However, they have continued operating by setting up the sub-contracting network, it said.

Documents submitted to the Chinese government on the case allege that the factory owners used the profits from the original counterfeiting operation to expand and set up a joint venture with a Hong Kong company, the report said.

Sony Computer Entertainment has now sued two companies and three of their executives in Hong Kong for copyright and trademark infringement, it said.

Sony did not release PlayStation2 in China until January this year, partly because of the piracy issue and also because of concerns about whether consumers could afford it, the newspaper said.

[Catfish]

All I have to say about them is one word: "shitheels"

[elmono311]

They didn't release the PS2 there until this year when in just two years the PS3 is going to be released?

[Supermercado]

They didn't release the PS2 there until this year when in just two years the PS3 is going to be released?

That's what I said... I mean, damn, PS2 is like 4 years old.

[Vengeance]

Just think how long it will be until they get PS3.

[elmono311]

But yet the Chinese continue to be dumb and pirate like crazy when if they stopped doing that, they'd actually get stuff earlier. Stupid Commies

[LostArtofRolando]

here's my theory... coke and santa are communist, so they bring all the ps2s to the chinese, they're not pirated, SONY just doesnt want to admit to selling the licensing to Santa Claus for obvious reasons... this is kinda like the red pill/blue pill thing.
  OR all those people in the Chinese prisons are actually Santa's elves who make the presents for the whole world.

[elmono311]

What have I started? :-)

[Catfish]

I'm not talking about the people, I'm talking about the government, and I despise China for a lot of what they are doing... some of their government's practices are helping fuel these sorts of activities (and to the individuals doing these things, may you be run over by a surry cart seven times)... As far as I'm concerned, I couldn't care less if they never get another US company's electronic device (since they're all freaking made in Taiwan anyway)

[elmono311]

And we all know how much China wants Taiwan...

[jitspoe]

A five-year piracy investigation by Sony has discovered that its popular PlayStation consoles are being assembled in a Chinese prison

At least they won't have to worry about relocating anybody!  Am I the only one who found that extremely ironic?

[Catfish]

Rofl... I think they'd be well-advised to relocate them though... perhaps to an underwater prison ;x

[jitspoe]

That's one way to sink the piracy business.

[elmono311]

Har har, you're too funny