Here is a message to those that think the DMCA will never apply to them. According to Ars Technica today, police are cracking down on those that are selling modded Xboxes to the public.

Sure, they probably had to push the crack dealers out of the way to bust this obvious ‘menace to society’, but at least we can all sleep a little easier knowing those mean ‘ol modded consoles will be placed safely into police custody.

The debate over modified game consoles has pitted DMCA protections against the right of owners to modify hardware as they see fit. Console makers have actively gone after individuals and websites that sell and distribute mod chips in the past, but that news must have escaped the owners of three Washington DC-area video game stores. On December 1, federal authorities raided three Pandora’s Cube stores and arrested individuals who were selling modified Xbox consoles.

Authorities arrested two store employees on charges of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and conspiracy to traffic in a device that circumvents technological protection measures, the ESA [Entertainment Software Association] said. “One of them is someone who has a more substantial role with the company,” said Chunnie Wright, anti-piracy counsel to the ESA.