Nintendo Switch Modding Allegedly Charges First Japanese Suspect

Japanese authorities have made a landmark arrest in the fight against video game piracy. For the first time, a suspect has been apprehended for modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to play pirated games.

According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was arrested on January 15th for violating Japan's Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, enabling them to run illegally copied games. Authorities claim he pre-loaded 27 pirated titles onto each console before selling them for approximately ¥28,000 ($180 USD) apiece. The suspect has reportedly confessed to the charges, and further investigations are underway.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between video game publishers and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target of piracy, initiated legal action in May 2024, resulting in the removal of 8,500 copies of the Switch emulator Yuzu. A previous lawsuit against Yuzu's creator, Tropic Haze, alleged that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was pirated one million times before its official release.

Legal efforts to combat piracy are intensifying. Previous successful cases include lawsuits against RomUniverse, a game file-sharing website, resulting in multi-million dollar damages awarded to Nintendo. Nintendo also successfully prevented the release of the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator on Steam.

Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy, emphasizing the link between emulator distribution and software piracy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of Nintendo's Intellectual Property Division, stated that while emulators themselves aren't inherently illegal, their use can lead to legal violations.