Japanese authorities have made a landmark arrest in the fight against video game piracy. For the first time, a suspect has been apprehended for modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to play pirated games.
According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was arrested on January 15th for violating Japan's Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, enabling them to run illegally copied games. Authorities claim he pre-loaded 27 pirated titles onto each console before selling them for approximately ¥28,000 ($180 USD) apiece. The suspect has confessed to the charges, and further investigations are underway.
This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between game publishers and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, launched a takedown notice in May 2024 affecting 8,500 copies of the Yuzu Switch emulator, following the emulator's shutdown two months prior. Their earlier lawsuit against Yuzu's creator, Tropic Haze, cited the unauthorized distribution of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – a million times before its official release.
Legal action against piracy is intensifying. Notable examples include successful lawsuits against RomUniverse, resulting in multi-million dollar damages awarded to Nintendo in 2018 and 2021. Nintendo also successfully blocked the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator from Steam.
Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy, emphasizing the link between emulator proliferation and software piracy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of Nintendo's Intellectual Property Division, stated that while emulators themselves aren't inherently illegal, their use for piracy constitutes a violation.
