Nintendo is going after more people who were involved in distributing Nintendo Switch warez and popularizing it on Reddit. A moderator, "Archbox", of the r/switchpiracy subreddit, is being sued by Nintendo for copyright infringement through distributing and hosting pirated Switch games. According to the court document, Nintendo attempted to reach out multiple times to the defendant, named James Williams, to get them to stop hosting "pirate shops" that would allow for seamless illegal game downloads from the Nintendo Switch console directly. Williams also requested user donations to help pay for the costs of hosting the illegal warez. Allegedly, after Nintendo reached out a final time with a cease and desist order, Williams stated a legal counsel would be in contact imminently, to which Nintendo claims never happened.

As a result, Nintendo is seeking $4.5 million dollars ($150,000 per infringement) from Williams in damages to their brand, as he was willfully breaking the law with "reckless abandon".

Source

 

[Skelletonike]

This guy was was stupid. Not pity whatsoever.
Given that he was a reddit mod, that just makes me cheer for Nintendo all the more.

A lot of drama has been going on with reddit mods lately, recently there's the case of one of them being actual reddit employee and doing stupid shit like copyright infringement on subreddits (and even admitting to it).

 

[lightwo]

I definitely wouldn't want to be a Reddit mod. Paying 150k for a game is maybe a bit much, and no discounts??

 

[wurstpistole]

The damage amount should honestly be per copy downloaded, which I doubt amounts to millions.

Damage per copy downloaded would extend 4.5 million $ easily. That guy ran several tinfoil shops, let's say they had 10,000 users (which probably isn't nearly enough) and everyone downloaded only one AAA game, this would already be 600,000$ of damages. Do the math.

 

[AllOver]

Summarising Arch as a "Reddit moderator" is like calling SciresM a "Discord mod".

Even if you didn't know arch, or decided not to do any journalism by reaching out to anyone subpoenaed, you could read the document you sourced to come up with a better summary. Or give to AI to get a TLDR.

Anyway, it's surprising that march 26th was when NOA contacted arch. He was still very active at that time and the following days. He never mentioned being contacted to anyone, or at least I am not aware of it. Only April 1st did he disappear, and nothing in the document mentions anything around that time. Unless the first notice was received April 1st, not 26th. Again it's very odd because he was very active, especially on the 26th all the way up to the 29th, then gone on the 1st.

 

[mathew77]

I'd like to name a site that is hosting Switch roms that recently asked for donation because he was "hacked" and lost all his money.

You mean nx brew ?

 

[bonkmaykr]

Actually it is under Trump regime.

you are german.

the country that:
- was home to the nazi party (rather ironic you do not know what a "regime" is given this fact)
- recently decriminalized possession of child porn
- has an extensive track record of surveillance in recent history and it trying to convince the whole EU to do it after everyone already said no

since we're out here talking about countries that we have never been to

 

[depaul]

BTW how did they find his real name? Why did he disclose his real name in the first place?

GBAtemp please be cautious! Because if a user here shares just some data Nintendo might attack aggressively pretending it was copyrighted (or whatever).

 

[bonkmaykr]

BTW how did they find his real name? Why did he disclose his real name in the first place?

GBAtemp please be cautious! Because if a user here shares just some data Nintendo might attack aggressively pretending it was copyrighted (or whatever).

Possibly a subpoena? Does reddit usually disclose when they get legal requests

 

[Ampersound]

People who commit crimes should face appropriate consequences for what they did.

Companies who show antitrust behaviour and perform illegal actions like suing emulator developers should also face appropriate consequences for their crimes.

 

[HideoKojima]

When you hear the sound of coins, it’s not Mario collecting them… it’s Nintendo’s legal team.

 

[AndorfRequissa]

Summarising Arch as a "Reddit moderator" is like calling SciresM a "Discord mod".

Even if you didn't know arch, or decided not to do any journalism by reaching out to anyone subpoenaed, you could read the document you sourced to come up with a better summary. Or give to AI to get a TLDR.

Anyway, it's surprising that march 26th was when NOA contacted arch. He was still very active at that time and the following days. He never mentioned being contacted to anyone, or at least I am not aware of it. Only April 1st did he disappear, and nothing in the document mentions anything around that time. Unless the first notice was received April 1st, not 26th. Again it's very odd because he was very active, especially on the 26th all the way up to the 29th, then gone on the 1st.

the jokes on the world how stupid we humans have become following dumb systems and method of logic that journalists don't even have editors anymore to ensure proper context. when newspapers were around editors and journalists could get fired for reporting the way that is the norm today. All the writers and editors can just claim ignorance and edit or retract if you bring something up that is so simple and basic knowledge that they should have been ashamed to put their name on it.

Journalists don't have any pride in their writing anymore. They have to work at a speed where fact checking and making sure you can take pride in writing an accurate article is absolutely impossible. just look at the chilidish words they use in most cases nowadays to write click bait articles making claims like "fans go crazy over" the "the internet reacts" and all those type of articles too. gbatemp is nowhere near the worst but like many other places putting out news articles they arent holding up to the standards they used to or say they do consistently enough and don't really see that as issue to improve on even if people point it out over and over.

It's one of the reasons most people never read articles anymore and just go to the comment sections of topics because thats where the real facts and fact checking is done sadly.

I speak the way I do because I just don't understand how humans expect any different when they are okay with all these industries that have had their systems changed from systems that used to have some logic and deceny behind them to everyone accepting excuses and being okay with so many things being knowingly done the wrong way.

I feel bad for jounalists because some of them have good intentions but they are never going to get the respect or even do what they were setting out to do because they system they have been brainwashed into turns them into propaganda mouthpieces nowadays and very few times do people get a non bias accurate form or reporting anymore so everyone base perception of things ends up just wrong because of these nefarious systems installed into journalism to protect companies but not to protect readers or at least at a minimum be honest with readers and not have so many errors.

 

[Ambers_Crimson_8K]

Dang you're not even safe on reddit!
I just went through and deleted all my comments on any of the Nintendo Reddit's of any kind, they'll start tracking posters too soon, based off what you type.

These guys love suing randoms when they don't make enough money, with their products.

Got to make up their losses in the courtrooms, it's random sites and youtubers that cause them to lose money.

Has nothing to do with their pricing, anti-consumerism and bans they put on everything linked to them.

No it's Little Johnny on Reddit and Peter from the Art website, he copyright infringed with his drawing, we lost 30 million in sales due to his picture.

 

[mathew77]

Interesting though that infamous and paid-only ghost shop has its own public subreddit with the same name, and its sysop Ghost0159 (he's from France btw) has absolutely no probs with Nintendo lawyers..

 

[wurstpistole]

you are german.

the country that:
- was home to the nazi party (rather ironic you do not know what a "regime" is given this fact)
- recently decriminalized possession of child porn
- has an extensive track record of surveillance in recent history and it trying to convince the whole EU to do it after everyone already said no

since we're out here talking about countries that we have never been to

Screw you. In 2025, we hate America, not Germany. Learn to live with it.

 

[Deleted member 535703]

Damage per copy downloaded would extend 4.5 million $ easily. That guy ran several tinfoil shops, let's say they had 10,000 users (which probably isn't nearly enough) and everyone downloaded only one AAA game, this would already be 600,000$ of damages. Do the math.

You just did the math for me and said 600,000

 

[LoggerMan]

Nintendo don't like people sharing current gen games at all (and you can consider Switch and Switch 2 as current gen), and they don't like people making money off any of their IP, except maybe they tolerate their music being used in the background of videos. Perfect emulation of current gen on PC kinda was a new front in their Cold War on piracy.

 

[wurstpistole]

You just did the math for me and said 600,000

Well... I have neither the time nor the pencils to explain this to you, but: if the shop had only 10,000 users and each only downloaded only one AAA game from it... then damages would amount to 600k. Now, let's just assume that someone who is using a tinfoil shop downloads more than just one game. I think you can figure it out.

 

[Clydefrosch]

well, at least you mentioned that he's more than just some reddit mod.
thats the risk that comes with these things and you shouldn't take them when you're within most legal jurisdictions

 

[nubman33]

i would literally laugh in their face cause they cant touch me (you cant collect SSDI for lawsuits) and thats the literal ONLY income i have also inheritance, nah due to what i said i'm off my parent's will

Keep telling yourself that. They will make you pay no matter what.

 

[pustal]

can nintendo/gamefreak sue the us government as well for copyright? bros are going after a reddit mod but not the white house. so they pick and choose who they take to court.

Not only they are cowards as it probably didn't affect their brand the slightest.

No matter how poorly Nintendo treat their costumers or how they align themselves with anti-democratic forces like anti-right-to-repair groups or let themselves be used by fascists, people keep buying more and more of their stuff. The Switch 2 came out, without any big title exclusives and a steep price rise and is already the greatest console launch Nintendo ever had. Before that the Switch paywalled save game backups and online play and it was the biggest as well.