Nintendo has achieved a legal victory in its ongoing efforts against piracy. A judge from a Washington District Court has ordered Ryan Daley to pay Nintendo $2 million and to cease the online sale of modded Nintendo Switch consoles. This decision follows a copyright lawsuit filed last year, in which Nintendo accused Daley of running a website called Modded Hardware. The site sold modded Switch consoles, modchips for hacking these devices, and Mig flash cartridges, which are used to play pirated games.
Nintendo argued that Daley’s activities caused “significant and irreparable harm” to the company, a claim that the judge supported. The ruling highlighted that the products enabled users to create, distribute, and play pirated Nintendo games extensively. Daley, however, denied any wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.
Piracy lawsuits have become increasingly frequent for Nintendo. Earlier this year, the company secured a ruling against a file-sharing site accused of hosting pirated games. Legal actions have also led to the shutdown of popular Nintendo Switch emulators, including Yuzu and Ryujinx. Additionally, Nintendo has indicated that it may take steps to disable Switch 2 consoles that are modified.
As part of the ruling, Daley, who represented himself in court, is prohibited from modding Switch consoles and is barred from using any devices intended to bypass the console’s security features. The judge also ordered that all devices belonging to Daley that contain potentially infringing material be seized, impounded, or destroyed.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/774077/nintendo-switch-modder-ryan-daley-lawsuit