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Legal?

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:33 pm
by ceejam
im just wondering if it is legal to sell an xbox on ebay with gentoox on it.

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:23 pm
by djdafreund
It's kind of tricky actually. It's not illegal to run linux on it if your using cromwell bios (100%legal), however you need a mod chip (unless using exploit which is almost useless to a newbie in the event something happens and you won't know how to fix it anyway.) which most say are illegal to sell (had a few extras and wanted to sell them but was told by many in the US is illegal). Someone correct me if i'm wrong on this, because beforehand i always assumed that getting a modchip with Cromwell on it WAS legal to purchase.

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:57 pm
by Trevante
Well yes, it's perfectly legal since Xbox-Linux doesn't involve any illegal files or anything, but it would be illegal if you had other stuff on there (copied games, XDK created homebrew, etc). I don't think Ebay will even allow the auction though, they usually don't like any kind of auction that involves modified Xboxes, even if it's just for linux.

And softmods are just fine. Unless you go randomly deleteing stuff on C and E, there's really not much you could do to mess up your exploit

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:56 pm
by ShALLaX
Modchips are generally illegal. They allow you to circumvent security measures (i.e. a user could just reflash from within Gentoox). Check with your local authority first!

Are you sure??

Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:36 pm
by wrayal
Of course, rules vary from area to area, but in my experience, modchips are OK as long as they are distributed with a legal BIOS, even if its just a flashbios (who knows? The user might have custom written a clean BIOS and want the chip for testing ;) )
There was this issue with PS2 modchips if I remember. Many got away with them as the didn't circumvent copyright single-handedly - you needed an Action Replay or something as well. I believe a similar thing happens here - chips don't just allow you to circumvent copyright. You need other blatantly illegal software as well.
So generally, you ought to be able to get away with it. IMO, it'd be better to stick with TSOP (free) or UXE (_very_ stable and free)

Wrayal

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:51 pm
by dmp
Apart from the fact that ebay are complete bastards in this respect.

I speak from a small amount of first-hand experience, of trying to sell an Xbox-Linux xbox, that was TSOP flashed, with the cromwell bios. Despite putting "THIS XBOX DOES NOT CONTAIN A MODCHIP, AND CAN PLAY NO GAMES, COPIED OR OTHERWISE" my auction got pulled for a supposed AUP violation. Repeated emails to eBay to clarify what they felt I had violated were ignored.

That's customer service for you these days.

David