ELSPA Considering Crackdown on R4 Retailers

Jul. 10 5:56 PM by Lynxara

The R4 flash cart makes the thriving DS homebrew scene possible, but it's got a dirty secret: most people who pick it up just use it to pirate DS titles.

Sales of DS titles in the UK are believed to be suffering so badly from piracy that the ELSPA is considering legal action against all retailers who carry the R4 flash cart, an action that could very well pit them against major online retailers like Amazon. As reported by MCV:

ELSPA's IP Crime Unit manager John Hillier has warned the trade that unless the sale of these items halts, the trade body will be forced to act. ...

The supply of these items is an infringement and an offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994. ELSPA's IP Crime Unit works closely with the enforcement agencies to stop this supply and prevent instances of intellectual property theft.

Publishers of core titles like Square-Enix and Nintendo themselves are believed to be those hardest-hit by piracy, while sales of casual games are believed to be unaffected.

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