Key points
- Nintendo continues its legal campaign against piracy by seeking more people involved, including associates of well-known modder James “Archbox” Williams.
- Legal battles include a recent lawsuit against Modded Hardware for selling MIG Switch devices with pirated Nintendo titles.
- Nintendo's commitment to enforcing intellectual property rights remains strong as the company prepares for the launch of the Switch's successor.
Nintendo is far from over with the ongoing investigation into Switch users and modders accused of piracy, as a recent federal court filing said the company is looking for more targets to serve. This news came after Nintendo took legal action against a well-known Switch modder accused of selling media to pirated Switch games.
The latest investigation is just part of Nintendo's long legal battles to protect its intellectual property, as the company has a history of using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to take down leakers and websites that distribute ROMs and emulators of its games and consoles. In early 2024, Nintendo agreed to a $2.4 million settlement in its lawsuit against Tropic Haze, the makers of the Yuzu Switch emulator, which has since been pulled from code repositories. Although the Yuzu project has been discontinued, Tropic Haze has reiterated its stance against game piracy.
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While Nintendo has already had a busy year in court, the gaming giant said it is moving forward with additional legal notices. According to a filing from the US District Court in Washington state (and confirmed by Game File's Stephen Totilo), Nintendo is prosecuting more people after a recent investigation into a known Switch pirate. After Nintendo tracked down and sued James “Archbox” Williams, the company said that the SwitchPirates subreddit, of which Williams was a moderator, was under investigation. The SwitchPirates subreddit has over 216,000 registered members as of this writing. Previously, Nintendo won a default judgment against Williams after he failed to represent himself in court. Nintendo is also seeking court approval to subpoena corporate records from Reddit, Discord, GitHub, Cloudflare, Google and domain hosts GoDaddy, Namecheap and Tucows to track down Williams' alleged associates.
Nintendo seeks more people in legal campaign against piracy
- A statement from Nintendo in the US District Court says the company is looking for more people in its ongoing piracy investigation.
- Nintendo is looking for people connected to James “Archbox” Williams, who the company is suing for piracy and copyright infringement.
- Williams lost a default judgment against Nintendo for failing to represent himself in court.
- Nintendo seeks to subpoena company records from websites like Reddit, Discord and GitHub as part of its investigation.
When Williams was sued in June 2024, Nintendo filed a separate lawsuit against Modded Hardware, which sold MIG Switch devices and mods that often included pirated copies of Nintendo titles. Modded Hardware leader Ryan Daly had previously received a cease-and-desist order in March 2024, but continued to sell MIG Switch devices until the lawsuit was filed.
With numerous legal victories on Nintendo's behalf, it's clear that the company will not tolerate piracy of its properties. As the launch of the console following the Switch approaches, only time will tell how Nintendo's ongoing investigations will go.
NintendoSwitch
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Nintendo Switch is a hybrid portable and home console that aims to be the one gaming system everyone needs. The hybrid controller is an undisputed success because it provides a high degree of portable visual quality and easily converts into a home console.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Drums
- 1 lithium polymer batteries are required
- Dimensions
- 13.7 x 7.8 x 3.66 inches
- Weight
- 2.65 lbs
