Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
In a legal case against a Nintendo Switch modder, Nintendo has asked for a subpoena against Reddit, Discord, and others.
The company specifically calls out the subreddit SwitchPirates, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Nintendo seeks the identities of several individuals involved in selling modded consoles pre-loaded with pirated games.
After shutting down notable Nintendo Switch emulators like Yuzu earlier this year, Nintendo’s legal crusade seems to be just getting started. Now, the company is directing its attention toward Nintendo Switch piracy communities on websites like Reddit.
In a legal filing in Washington (via Game File) against Switch modder James “Archbox” Williams, Nintendo laid out how it intends to target “Pirate Shops” offering illegal access to Nintendo Switch games and hardware. The document specifically mentions a subreddit called SwitchPirates, of which Williams was the primary moderator.
The subreddit, which bills itself as “A community of pirates, for pirates,” boasts more than 200,000 members. While it no longer explicit links to pirated content, it’s still centered around modding Nintendo Switch hardware, homebrews, and, of course, pirated copies of games. Several Discord servers were also set up, although they were all eventually shut down for illegal activities.
These shops were selling modded Nintendo Switch consoles pre-loaded with pirated games.
To be clear, Nintendo isn’t planning on taking legal action against the users in these communities, but rather the people behind the Pirate Shops. The document mentioned above is a request to file a subpoena to GoDaddy, Cloudflare, GitHub, Discord, Reddit, and others to determine the identities of any co-conspirators.
For fans of emulation, there is a silver lining. Nintendo’s claims are related to Williams and associates selling modded Nintendo Switch consoles and cartridges that come pre-loaded with pirated games, not emulation itself. For now, emulation and ROMs for private and personal use will remain a legal grey area.
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