Customs seizes Nintendo game copiers

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has seized Nintendo DS R4 mod chips from a would-be importer.

According to Nintendo, it was the first Australian customs seizure of games copiers of the type.

The R4 chip allowed users to circumvent the technology protection measures Nintendo has built into its DS handheld consoles, enabling illegally pirated games to be downloaded online.

It came under the spotlight last month, when Australian distributor RSJ IT Solutions was ordered by the Federal Court to cease selling the chip in Australia and pay Nintendo $520,000 in damages.

In a statement to the media, Nintendo said that the case established that "these actions [selling games copiers] are illegal and the consequences are real".

Nintendo attributed the level of video game piracy in Australia to the availability of game copiers, and has been working with law enforcement authorities to curtail the spread of piracy for the past decade.