Home / Crime and Justice / Nintendo Wins $4.5M Piracy Lawsuit Against Mod
Nintendo Wins $4.5M Piracy Lawsuit Against Mod
24 Sep
Summary
- Nintendo secured $4.5 million in a default judgment.
- A Reddit moderator was found liable for distributing pirated games.
- The judge ordered the shutdown of online pirate stores.
Nintendo has achieved a significant legal victory, securing $4.5 million in a default judgment against James Williams, a Reddit moderator accused of distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games. The ruling, issued by a Washington federal judge on Wednesday, also mandates that Williams immediately shut down online stores believed to be hosting libraries of pirated Switch titles.
Williams, known online as "archbox," was sued by Nintendo in 2024. The gaming giant alleged he was a key moderator for the r/SwitchPirates community, soliciting donations for pirated games to be distributed via online stores. Nintendo sought the substantial default judgment after Williams failed to respond to the lawsuit.
The awarded $4.5 million equates to $150,000 for each of the 30 copyrighted games involved, including titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Pikmin 4. Williams is also required to disable access to his alleged pirate shops and cease using social media for distributing copyrighted Switch games.
