Modding
Modding is a slang expression for the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software to perform a function not intended by someone with legal rights concerning that modification.
There are two different ways of modding a system. One is through "Hard Modding" or using a mod chip to physically modify the system to get access to its Hard Drive. Another type of modding know as "Soft Modding" has become more popular because you don't need a mod chip. In Soft Modding, a software program is put onto the system which exploits glitches in the game save system to gain access to its Hard Drive.
A common example is video game console mod chips, which can allow users to play games legitimately purchased in other regions or legal backup copies, but can also allow illegal unauthorized copies by allowing the player to play personally-recorded CD copies of video games. Modchips, in their current form, were first available for the Sony Playstation (and later the Playstation 2). Various other types of copyright circumvention systems existed for the Nintendo 64 and the older Gameboy consoles, though.
Some nations have laws prohibiting modding and accuse modders of attempting to overcome copy prevention schemes. In the United States, the DMCA has set up stiff penalties for modding involving such circumvention. In the European Union, member states have agreed the EU Copyright Directive and are transposing it into national law.
Retrieved from wikipedia.org on 23rd February 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modding