Japan Arrests Modder in Nintendo Switch Piracy Case

Japanese authorities make a landmark arrest in the fight against Nintendo Switch game piracy. For the first time, a suspect has been apprehended for modifying Switch hardware to enable the playing of pirated games.

According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was taken into custody on January 15th, facing charges under Japan's Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, allowing them to run illegally copied software. Authorities claim 27 pirated games were pre-loaded onto each modified console, which were then sold for approximately ¥28,000 ($180 USD) apiece. The suspect has reportedly confessed. Further investigations are underway to determine the extent of the illegal activity.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between game developers and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, launched a takedown notice in May 2024 affecting 8,500 copies of the Yuzu Switch emulator, following its shutdown two months prior. Their initial lawsuit against the emulator's creator, Tropic Haze, cited the unauthorized distribution of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, noting over one million pirated copies before its official release.

Legal action against piracy is escalating. Notable past victories include lawsuits against RomUniverse, resulting in $2.1 million in damages to Nintendo in 2021 and over $12 million in 2018. These legal actions also impacted the Dolphin emulator's availability on Steam.

Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of the Intellectual Property Division, clarified the legal ambiguity surrounding emulators themselves, emphasizing that their illegality depends entirely on their intended use. The use of emulators to play pirated games is unequivocally illegal.