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The Pirate Bay Co-Founder Has Been Denied an NES

The Pirate Bay Co-Founder Has Been Denied an NES

Serving time in prison for being the co-founder of a torrent site is bad enough. Serving time in prison for being the co-founder of a torrent site and not being able to play your NES? Now that’s just torture.

Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij is now serving time in in a Swedish prison for just that crime. One of the few things the inmates can do to pass the time is play video games, and so Neij asked for a classic Nintendo. Unfortunately, his request for a Ninendo was denied because authorities said they could not open up the console to check and see if there is contraband inside without breaking it.

“The console is sealed in such a way that it cannot be opened without the machine being destroyed,” said the prison (translation by TorrentFreak. “In light of this, the institution can’t implement the necessary control of the game console and it is therefore impossible to ensure that it does not contain prohibited items.”

I’m going to come right out and say this: that’s a lie. I’m not taking sides here but I, myself, have taken apart an NES and put it back together in working order – and I have some pretty bad hand tremors. The NES is built like a rock and can withstand a lot of punishment. Not to mention many modders and classic console restorers make their living off of doing just that, opening up the NES, making modifications, and closing it.

Neij has decided to appeal this decision saying that the only tool that would be needed to open an NES is a screwdriver, and provided you have that you can open it up and close it without causing any damage to the system. In fact, the prison itself could simply have a modder take it apart piece by piece in front of them, and then put it back together, showing that there is no contraband and that the console works fine. Similarly, the cartridges for the unit can also be taken apart easily and put back together with very little harm coming to them.

The Pirate Bay Co-Founder Has Been Denied an NES

Neij doesn’t have much of a platform to stand on. He was found guilty in 2009 and was ordered to serve one year in jail and pay $3.6 million to copyright owners. He then went on the run, hiding out in Thailand before he was arrested in November of last year.

But at the same time, this should have nothing to do with whether or not he can receive the same privileges that other inmates in the prison have.

What do you think? Does Neij deserve an NES, or does the prison have a right to deny it to him? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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