Piracy Raid Seizes 1,800 DS Flash Carts In Wales

A police raid at a shop in Cardiff, Wales seized some 1,800 flash carts, which enable users to play pirated games and homebrew programs on the Nintendo DS, and are illegal under the Trademarks and Copyright Acts. A 21-year-old man had imported the carts over four shipments and was selling the devices through a website that was discovered by UK industry trade body Entertainment and Leisure Publishers Association (ELSPA), who reported the site following a test purchase. Officers from the City and County of Cardiff Trading Standards Department and the South Wales Police conducted the raid and uncovered delivery receipts for every flash cart sold over the course of two years. They also found 1,000 additional devices at the man's home, along with hundreds of products packed and ready for mailing. "We would like to thank Cardiff Trading Standards and South Wales Police for their sterling work in stopping this operation," says ELSPA managing director Michal Rawlinson. "Our team in the Intellectual Property Crime Unit (IPCU) has stepped up its fight against counterfeiters stealing game software and other intellectual property rights of our members. Increasingly sophisticated tracking techniques make it harder than ever for the thieves to avoid detection." "The industry loses vital income and with it proper job security for its employees in the country, while the British public lose out because many circumvention devices actually damage irreparably DS Lite handheld consoles. ELSPA advises all gamers, parents and gifters to buy hardware and game software from respectable retailers -- offering proper protection for their outlay.” Nintendo UK's general manager David Yanton adds, "Nintendo is serious about taking actions against those involved in the manufacturing and distribution of game copying devices."