Hacking the Xbox

The US government is far and away the best-funded and fearsome enemy
in the world, and copyright law has some unusually large, if not cruel,
penalties associated with it. I never knew Aaron, but I feel that the magnitude
of the bullying he was subjected to is reflected in his decision to end
his life.
I echo Larry Lessig’s notion that the US legal system needs a sense of
shame. To an outsider like me, it seems that certain prosecutors in the
US government are obsessed with making a name for themselves at the
expense of the individuals they pursue. Winning cases gains them the recognition
and credibility needed for promotions and assignments to ever
higher profile cases. For them, it’s not about justice—it’s about victory
and self-aggrandizement.
This system of incentives contributes to the shameless bullying of individuals
and small entities who have the guts to stand up and do something
daring. Individuals are robbed of the will and strength to fight for what
they feel is right, as the mere act of prosecution can be as much a punishment
as the verdict. As a result, I fear that the era of civil disobedience
may be coming to a close.
As people, as individuals, as hackers, we need to oppose this trend and
continue to do what we feel deep down in our hearts is right. While
Aaron’s story came to a tragic end, I hope that in this book you will find
an encouraging story with a happy ending. Without the right to tinker
and explore, we risk becoming enslaved by technology; and the more we
exercise the right to hack, the harder it will be to take that right away.
bunnie
Singapore, March 2013