Source: Nintendo
In an attempt to lessen piracy and illegal chip modding, Nintendo has filed two lawsuits against a Reddit moderator and a chipmodder.
The lawsuit, which was filed at a Washington Federal Court, accuses two individuals of facilitating Nintendo Switch Piracy.
The first lawsuit alleges a DMCA violation by Modded Hardware, which is run by Ryan Daly, a website that sells modchips and MIG devices, as well as selling modded Switch models with pirated games.
A modchip, known as a circumvention device, is a small electronic device which can alter or disable artificial restrictions on computers, consoles, and other entertainment devices. It is notable to mention that modchips are illegal as per the official Nintendo website.
Nintendo also claims that they had been in contact with Ryan Daly in March, warning him of his activity regarding chip modding. Although Ryan Daly had supposedly agreed to cease operations, the filing of the lawsuit suggests otherwise.
The second lawsuit accuses Reddit moderator James Williams, known as “Archbox”, who handles the r/SwitchPirates subreddit. He is being sued for facilitating digital piracy and operating a variety of “pirate shops”.
Williams was claimed to be involved in the running of four pirate shops, one being still active. It is further claimed that Williams has openly acknowledged his illegal activities and refusal to pay for Nintendo games.
Copyright infringement perpetrated for commercial advantage or private financial gain, as well as unauthorized reproduction and distribution, is in violation of American Federal copyright law.
According to TorrentFreak, Nintendo is seeking damages for copyright infringement, trafficking in circumvention devices, as well as breach of contract.
This isn’t Nintendo’s first battle against illegal piracy and modding. Back in 2020, Nintendo successfully won its lawsuit against the infamous Nintendo pirating group Team-Xecuter, which resulted in the indictment of three and the arrest of two of its members.
Nintendo has also cracked down on other Switch piracy related websites and services like Yuzu Emulator, Lockpick, and MIG Switch.
