Regional locking (or territorial coding ) is a digital rights management class that prevents the use of certain products or services, such as multimedia or hardware, outside certain territories or territories. Regional locking can be enforced through physical means, through technological means such as detecting user IP addresses or using identification codes, or by accidental means introduced by devices supporting only certain regional technologies (such as video formats, eg NTSC and PAL).
Regional locking may be enforced for several reasons, such as the staggering release of certain products, to inhibit gray market imports by imposing price discrimination, or to prevent users from accessing certain content in their territory for legal reasons (either due to censorship law or have no right to certain intellectual property outside their particular territory).
Video Regional lockout
Multimedia
Disk area
DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and UMD formats all support the use of region coding; DVD uses eight region codes (Region 7 is reserved for future use; Area 8 is used for "international places", such as airplanes and cruise ships), and Blu-ray Disc uses 3 region codes to suit different regions of the world. Currently, most Blu-ray discs are region-free.
On a computer, the DVD area can usually be changed five times. Windows uses three region counters: its own, one DVD drive, and one player software (sometimes, the player software does not have its own counters, but uses Windows devices). After the fifth area changes, the system is locked into the area. In a modern DVD drive (RPC-2 type), the area key is saved to the hardware, so even reinstalling Windows or using a drive with a different computer will not unlock the drive again.
Unlike DVD regions, the Blu-ray region is only verified by the player software, not by a computer system or drive. The area code is stored in file or registry, and there is a hack to reset the player software area counter. On stand-alone players, the region code is part of the firmware.
To skip the area code, there are multi-regional software and players available.
The new form of Blu-ray region encoding not only tests the player/player software area, but also the country code. This means, for example, although the United States and Japan are Region A, some American disks will not play on devices/software installed in Japan or vice versa, since the two countries have different country codes (United States has 21843 or Hex 5553, and Japan has 19024, or Hex 4a50; Canada has 17217 or Hex 4341).
Each DVD-HD 7.5.9.0 has the option to turn off the country code check by using the value 4294967295 or HEX FFFFFFFF. The software developers say users can also change the country code in their own "bdCountryCode" registry value. (Before any value changes, AnyDVD should be closed, and once modified, it must be restarted.)
Software
Some features of certain programs are disabled when the software is installed on a computer in a certain region.
In older versions of copy software Clonic , features " Strengthening Weak Field ", " Protected PC Games ," and " Hide CDR Media "is disabled in the United States and Japan. Changing language settings and in Windows (for example, to Canadian English) or patches may open this feature in both countries. SlySoft has decided to let this option be disabled for the US for legal reasons, but, surprisingly, under the " AnyDVD " program, which is also illegal under U.S. law, no features are disabled. The current CloneCD version (5.3.1.4) is no longer restricted by the region.
The latest version of DVDFab copy software (9.1.5.0 and higher) comes in the US version ( no Blu-ray-ripping feature ), which is downloaded when the dvdfab.cn homepage identifies the US IP address, and the non-US version ( with the functioning Blu-ray ripping feature ). Some web pages allow downloading non-US versions also from the US (they store non-US versions directly and do not use download links to the developer's homepage).
Some programs (for example, games) are distributed in different versions for NTSC and PAL computers. In some cases, to avoid gray market imports or international software piracy, they are designed not to run on computers with the wrong TV system. Other programs can run on computers with both TV systems.
Kaspersky Lab sells its anti-virus products at different prices in different regions and uses a regionalization activation code. Programs purchased in a country country can be activated in other countries in the same region . Once activated, the software may also be used and download updates from other regions as long as the license applies. Problems may arise when the license must be updated, or if the software needs to be reinstalled, in an area other than the place of purchase. This area is identified by the IP address (no activation is possible without an Internet connection), so the use of VPN or proxy is recommended to avoid restrictions.
The Kaspersky region is:
- Region 1: Canada, United States, Mexico, and Bermuda
- Region 2: Western Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan
- Region 3: Southeast Asia
- Region 4: Central America, South America (excluding French Guiana), and Oceania; Mexico uses software that uses flags for both region 1 and 4
- Region 5: Africa, India and the Commonwealth of Independent States (also including the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Serbia)
- Region 6: Mainland China
- Region 7: Reserved
- Region 8: Special international areas (aircraft, steamers, etc.)
Website
On the internet, geo-blocking is used primarily to control access to online media content that is only allowed to play in certain regions due to territorial license settings.
Maps Regional lockout
Video game
Regional locking in video games has been achieved with several methods, such as hardware/software authentication, pin-out slot replacements, differences in cartridge cases, IP blocking, and patching of online software. Most console video games have territory encodings.
The main areas are:
- Japan and Asia (NTSC-J)
- North and South America (NTSC-U)
- Europe, New Zealand, and Australia (PAL region)
- China (NTSC-C)
Atari Inc.
The Atari 2600 does not have regional locking, but NTSC games can display the wrong colors, slow speeds and sounds on the PAL system and vice versa.
The Atari 7800 has regional locking on the NTSC system, making PAL games unplayable. However, the Atal 7800 PAL version can run NTSC games, but suffers from the same problems as the Atari 2600.
The Atari 5200, Lynx and Jaguar are free-area, however, to run unauthorized software, the game itself requires a way to bypass the system's security system.
Nintendo
Nintendo is the first console maker to introduce a regional key to its console. Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) are locked through physical and technical means; design cartridge for SPN is different between Japan and other market, using different pin number. Because the Famicom (Japanese model) uses slightly smaller cartridges, Japanese games can not get into the NES console without an adapter (and even then, they still can not use the extra sound functionality of Famicom because of their different hardware). In addition, the SEN also contains 10NES authentication chips; The chip is encoded for one of three areas:
- NTSC (North America)
- PAL-A (English, Australian and Italian)
- PAL-B (other European countries)
The game area is recognized by the console using 10NES chips. If the chip inside the cartridge is in conflict with the chip inside the console, the game will not boot. The 10NES chip is also duplicated as a form of DRM to prevent unlicensed or bootleg games from playing on the NES. The redesigned NES console released in the 1990s has no 10NES chips, and can play PAL games and is not licensed, though Famicom games still require converters. The Famicom does not include 10NES chips, but still can not play imports due to the size difference mentioned earlier unless the adapter is used.
The American Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Super Famicom use differences in cartridge cases. The Super NES cartridge will not fit in the Super Famicom/PAL SNES slot because of its different shapes and two plastics in the SNES slot preventing the Super Famicom cartridge from being inserted in SNES (NTSC). The SNES Pal can be fully inserted in the Japanese console, but similar chips to 10NES, called CIC, prevent PAL games from being played on the NTSC console and vice versa. While the physical modification of the case (either console or cartridge) is required to play games from different regions, to play games from different TV systems, hardware modifications are also required. Regional keys can be skipped using unauthorized custom cartridge adapters such as Genie Games.
Nintendo 64 has a locking method similar to Super NES. GameCube, and Wii are all locked territories. The areas are:
- NTSC-U (North America, South America, Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines)
- PAL (Europe and Oceania)
- NTSC-J (Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan)
- NTSC-K (South Korea)
GameCube and Wii regional locking can be skipped either with console modifications (Wii also via BIOS hacking), or only with third party software. FreeLoader Disk or Action Replay Datel is the most famous.
The Game Boy product line and the Nintendo DS do not use regional locking for physically distributed games; However, Nintendo DSi-specific software is regionally locked, and iQue-issued cartridges in China can only be played on DS models manufactured by iQue (although they remain compatible with other DS cartridges). The Nintendo 3DS line, however, does not impose region locking for 3DS-specific software, with the exception of the region-free Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre . Skippable using special firmware or Homebrew.
Wii U also locked area.
With Nintendo Switch, a hybrid video game console, the system is free of territory. Nintendo eShop is also free area, which means users can download content from other regions.
Sony
PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 2 console is locked area.
All PlayStation 3 games, except for two, are free territories. Although publishers may choose to lock certain game areas based on mechanisms that allow games to request a PS3 model, no one does so during the first six years after the PS3 launch. The first game locked in the PS3 area is Persona 4 Arena ; Atlus publishers refused to reverse its decision despite strong protests by some of their fanbase. Decisions are made to avoid over-importing, as all game versions share the same feature and language support, but have different price points and release dates in each region. However, they decided not to apply region locking to the sequel. There is area locking for PlayStation and PlayStation 2 compatible games, as well as DVD and Blu-ray Disc movies. In addition, some games separate online players per region, such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots . PlayStation Store contains only content for its own country. For example, the EU store will not provide a package of maps that can be used for US import copy Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare . In addition, downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 system is tailored to the game, so you need to purchase DLC from the US PlayStation Store to use it in US games. More specifically, the PS3 file system includes the origin-area, so the DLC can not be shared between different region games like storing files can not. Also, the PSN Store is associated with each user's PSN account, and the payment method for PSN is also locked territory. For example, a user with a Japanese PSN account will only be able to access the Japanese PSN shop despite having a US PS3, and can only pay for games with Japanese PSN card or Japanese credit card. However, with some rare exceptions, especially Joysound Dive , content downloaded from any PSN store is also free of territory, like the classic PSOne and PS2 offered at the store.
Although the PlayStation Portable does not have region locking for UMD games; The UMD movie is locked by region. However, Sony has confirmed that it is possible to implement Lockout on the PSP, and the firmware will disable the feature by region. For example, the Asian PSP will not show the "Extra" option on XMB despite being upgraded to the US version of Firmware 6.20, preventing the PSP owner from installing Comic Book Starter and TV Streaming apps. Sony states that the "Extras" function will remain disabled on the PSP Asia until the feature is officially launched in the region and does not provide a reason for the disabled option other than the one that has not yet been released. However, this prevents PSP Asia owners from using the above mentioned app on PSP Asia, because the app is installed via a PC; and users from such territories are not blocked from downloading apps, allowing installation on non-Asian PSPs imported into the region.
PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Vita TV has not had any games locked territories so far. But Sony has confirmed that it is possible for developers to do so.
Appropriate to its predecessor, PlayStation 4 is not locked territory, although it is still possible to develop games that are locked in the region. The official stand of Sony is that they ban developers from territory locking and will only succumb to special cases (such as with the exception of the PS3 Persona 4 Arena mentioned above). However, as with PlayStation 3, digital content such as downloadable content for games still requires a PSN account from the region where content was created. That said, the PSN account itself is not a locked area and accounts for one region can be created in the console from another.
Sega
The SG-1000 does not have a regional lockout between Japanese and Australian systems, the same applies to SC-3000 games on cartridges and cassettes, as well as the SF-7000 disk.
The Western Sega Master system has a different shape than the Japanese cartridge connector, which means the Sega Mark III and SG-1000 games are not compatible with it. The BIOS includes preventing Japanese cartridges (both Mark III and SG-1000) for use on Western systems, even with adapters. The Sega Card slot on this system has the same pinout from Japanese partners, but they can not run Japanese cards and SG-1000 cards due to lack of certain code in the ROM header. This can be circumvented by removing the BIOS IC from it. However, some European games just like Back to the Future Part III will refuse to boot on NTSC systems. Japanese games can be run on Power Base Converter by using adapter, but will not run SG-1000 games, regardless of its territory.
The Sega Mega Drive Japanese cartridge has a different shape and will not fit in the Genesis or PAL Mega Drive slot, which has the same shape (although Genesis 3 in the US will receive the Japanese title due to its wider slot.) The Japanese Mega Drive system has a piece of plastic which glide on the cartridge spot when the power switch is turned on, thus, inserting an American or European train will make it impossible to use on a Japanese MD (although slight modifications to the plastic locks in the system will pass through this). The main board of the console, however, is designed with a set of language and frequency jumpers that initially enable the feature in the same ROM for different regions. This feature is then used to enable a software-based regional key that displays a warning message that prevents the game from playing. Switches, not jumpers, are used to cut locks. In game-locked areas, if there are multiple language features, it can be changed with switches after the game has boot-up (as does the Cyber ​​case of Brawl/Cosmic Carnage for Super 32X). Although the console itself is a locked area, most games, especially those created by Sega, are free territories and can be played in any region, unless the cartridges do not match the console.
Sega Game Gear is a free territory, some games have multiple languages ​​depending on the system used, such as Puyo Puyo (game name change for Puzlow Kids) and Donald no Magical World (Ronald in Magical World) are both Japanese-exclusive games, but it is translated full if run on a western unit.
Sega Mega-CD Game is locked area. This area can be changed when making CD-R copies but not always possible (eg Sengoku Denshou on an American console will hang on the Sega license screen with a modified CD-R copy of territory). In addition, there is a third-party accessory that enables regional Sega BIOS CD booting from the flashcart adapter in the main console cartridge slot.
Most Sega Saturn American discs can be played on Japanese consoles, but most Japanese games are locked for American and European consoles. As in Mega Drive/Genesis, the use of switches will avoid key-area but will not change the language. In addition, the use of unlicensed backup/RAM cartridges will also allow the console to play games from different regions, except for games that use special ROM-RAM carts. The game from different television systems may have graphic problems.
GD-ROM disc Sega Dreamcast is locked area, but this can be circumvented with the use of boot discs.
Microsoft
The original Xbox as well as Xbox 360 is locked territory, though it's up to the publisher if the game is free territory or not. A number of free games area and will be played in units from any region. Digital content via Xbox Live also locked areas, such as DLCs, movies, and apps.
Xbox One was originally planned to have a region blocking policy that would prevent its use outside its territory in an attempt to curb parallel imports. However, Microsoft later reversed the policy and the final retail version of the console was unlocked territories. It was reported that the console was locked in Chinese territory.
More
Philips CD-i and Panasonic 3DO are region-free. The Japanese 3DO unit, however, displays the Kanji ROM, which is used by some games. When such games can not find ROMs, they can be locked or unplayable.
The Neo Geo Pocket line is also free of area, however, most Color-only games will lock with warning messages on the B/W system and some games do not have a double-code.
Among PC games, regional lockouts are more difficult to enforce because game apps and operating systems can be modified easily. Subscription-based online games often enforce regional keys by blocking IP addresses (which can often be circumvented via open proxies) or by requiring users to enter a national ID number (which may not be verified). A number of other games that use regional lockouts are sparse but do exist. One example is the Windows version of The Orange Box , which uses Steam to enforce a regional lockout. Steam also imposed a regional locking form in compliance with German law by offering a special version of some games with replaced content - notably Swastikas - for German users. Steam is also used to restrict the release of PC port Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to the US and Europe simply because Sony has an exclusivity deal with Konami in Asia, and only limited the Asian release of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy to Japanese-only version only. In addition to legal issues and licensing there are also financial reasons for Steam to lock their game area as well, because in Russia and other CIS countries the price of games in Steam is much lower than in the EU or North America.
Printers
Hewlett-Packard print cartridges have been registered since 2004. So they do not work in printers with different region codes, unless the user calls technical support for the device to be moved to the appropriate region.
HP printers have four areas:
Region 1: America, Greenland, Australia, New Zealand, North/South Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, East Asia
Region 2: Western Europe, Turkey
Region 3: CIS, Africa, Near East, Japan
Region 4: China (except Hong Kong and Taiwan) and India
This area can be changed three times; then, the printer will be locked into a region.
The Lexmark printer uses a different region encoding system:
a) mis. OfficeEdge Pro4000, OfficeEdge Pro4000c, OfficeEdge Pro5500, OfficeEdge Pro5500t, CS310, Printer Laser Warna CS410
Area 1: Americas Area 2: Greenland, EU, EFTA
Region 3 (in CS310, Color Laser Printer CS410 called Region 8): Former Yugoslavia and other countries (Eastern Europe, Africa, Near East, Asia, Australia)
b) mis. MS710, MS810 Printer Laser Monokrom
Area 1: US, Canada
Area 2: Greenland, EU, EFTA
Region 3: Asia, Australia, New Zealand
Region 4: Central and South America
Region 5: Former Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Near East, Africa
The Canon print cartridge for Pixma MP 480 will not work in that type of printer with a different region code either (even when it is listed on the relevant Canon printer cartridge packaging).
Epson ink cartridges also use area codes.
Xerox also uses region code. Their printers are shipped with neutral "factory" ink sticks without region coding. After the installation of the first new ink after this factory sticks, the machine will assign the area code based on the installed ink sticks and will only accept ink sticks for the area from that point on. "Officially," only three starter sticks per color can be used; then, the printer will no longer accept them and will want ink that is encoded in the area to be included, but there is a solution to that problem. Common area settings are:
NA (North America)
Metered-NA
DMO (emerging markets, such as Asia and South America)
XE (Europe).
Evasion
One method to bypass printer-region-coding is to store empty cartridges from the old territory and refill them with ink cartridges from new territories, but many modern ink cartridges have chips and sensors to prevent recharging, which makes the process more difficult..
Some regional printer manufacturers also offer free area printers designed specifically for travelers.
See also Inkjet refill kit # Anti-charging protection used by the printer manufacturer.
Smartphone
In September 2013, it was reported that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 packaging in the US and Europe contains a warning label stating that it will only operate with a SIM card from the region. A spokeswoman clarified the policy, stating that it was meant to prevent the resale of the gray market, and that only applies to the first SIM card inserted.
Credit card
As a protection against theft and abuse in foreign countries, some credit cards can be locked for a certain region. If the cardholder wants to travel abroad and use a credit card there, the keys of a particular region may be temporarily disabled by the bank. Not all banks offer this service, and the system of territories used may vary by bank.
For example, Sparkasse Schwyz AG (Switzerland) uses the following system:
Region 1: Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Region 2: Europe ( including Turkey and Greenland; overseas territory has area code in their location. )
- ( Areas 1 and 2 are usually unlocked )
Region 3: Russia and CIS Region 4: Africa
Area 5: Canada
Region 6: USA ( except American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands ) and Mexico
Region 7: Latin America and the Caribbean | Region 8: Middle East ( except Turkey and Egypt ), Asia-Pacific, Australia
See also
- 10NES
- CIC
- NTSC
- NTSC-J
- NTSC-C
- PAL Region
- Fan style
- Trusted Platform Module
- Modchip
- Parallel import
- Import Parallel in the video game
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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