Japanese Authorities Target Video Game Piracy with First Modder Arrest

Japanese authorities have made a landmark arrest, apprehending a 58-year-old man for allegedly modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to play pirated games. This marks the first time someone has been arrested in Japan for this specific hardware modification offense, highlighting a new phase in the fight against video game piracy.

According to NTV News, the individual was taken into custody on January 15th, facing charges under the Trademark Act. The suspect reportedly altered used Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, enabling the execution of unauthorized game copies. Each modified console, pre-loaded with 27 pirated titles, was allegedly sold for ¥28,000 (approximately $180).

The accused has confessed to the allegations, and law enforcement is currently investigating potential further infractions.

Nintendo and other game publishers have long struggled with piracy. A notable example is Nintendo's May 2024 takedown request targeting 8,500 copies of the Yuzu Switch emulator, following the emulator's shutdown two months prior. Their initial lawsuit against the creator, Tropic Haze, highlighted the staggering one million pre-release downloads of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, released in 2023.

Legal action against piracy is escalating. Past successful cases include lawsuits against RomUniverse, resulting in $2.1 million in damages to Nintendo in 2021 and over $12 million in 2018. These actions also extended to blocking the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator from the Steam platform.

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