In its latest crackdown on Switch piracy, Nintendo is taking legal steps to uncover the identities of individuals involved in illegal distribution networks, including moderators of the popular r/SwitchPirates subreddit.
The gaming giant has filed requests to subpoena business records from multiple tech companies, including Reddit, Discord, Google, and Github. This move follows Nintendo's recent legal victory against James "Archbox" Williams, a former moderator of r/SwitchPirates, who allegedly operated several "Pirate Shops" offering unauthorized copies of Nintendo games.
After Williams failed to appear in court, resulting in a default judgment against him, Nintendo discovered potential connections to other individuals involved in the piracy network. The company is now seeking court permission to access user records that could identify additional moderators of the 217,000-member subreddit and others associated with the illegal distribution operation.
Nintendo's legal filing states that the subpoenas are necessary to "pursue infringement claims" against those involved. The company clarifies that its target is not the entire subreddit membership, but specifically individuals connected to the commercial distribution of modded Switch consoles and pirated game cartridges.
This legal action follows Nintendo's recent $2.4 million settlement with Tropic Haze, the developer of the Yuzu Switch emulator, which the company successfully argued violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
The requested subpoenas would require companies like Name Cheap, Go Daddy, Tucows, and Cloudflare to provide information that could help identify individuals who worked alongside Williams in operating the Pirate Shops.
As Nintendo continues its aggressive stance against software piracy, this latest move demonstrates the company's determination to protect its intellectual property through legal channels.
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