A former Reddit moderator, identified as James "Archbox" Williams, has been ordered to pay Nintendo $4.5 million in damages following a lawsuit over his alleged operation of Nintendo Switch piracy shops. Nintendo accused Williams of copying, distributing, and promoting pirated games, as well as creating and operating websites that facilitated the illegal download of Nintendo Switch titles. Williams reportedly did not appear in court for the proceedings.
Nintendo's Legal Campaign Against Piracy
According to reports, Nintendo sought damages after alleging that Williams's actions caused significant harm. The company has a history of aggressively pursuing legal action against piracy. This includes lawsuits targeting piracy websites, hardware hackers, sellers of pirate software, and even fans who livestream pirated games. Nintendo has previously estimated its losses from piracy to be as high as $170 million in lost game sales. The Switch piracy community has reportedly distanced itself from Williams following the verdict.
A Washington court has mandated that Williams immediately disable access to the online shops he allegedly managed.