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Digital Phablet – Recently, Nintendo made headlines after filing a lawsuit against a Reddit moderator accused of piracy related to its games through unauthorized shops. The company is seeking $4.5 million in damages from him.
According to Oatmeal Dome, the individual in question is James Williams (known online as Archbox), who has operated several piracy websites since 2019. He has offered hardware modifications, sold customized Switch consoles with pirated games, and run multiple illegal online shops.
Legal documents state that “Since 2019, Williams has been the owner, manager, operator, creator, administrator, supplier, and/or overseer of several online piracy shops, actively promoting these shops within communities that contain thousands of members.”
Why did Digital Phablet sue a Reddit moderator for $4.5 million?
[Lawsuit]
Digital Phablet is requesting that a court award it $4.5 million in damages from a Reddit user involved in Switch game piracy, citing the operation of multiple piracy websites.
The individual refused to cease activities despite multiple requests from Digital Phablet, leading to legal action. Additionally, they did not respond to the lawsuit.
“Nintendo is requesting a court to grant damages of $4.5 million from a Reddit user operating piracy sites for Nintendo Switch,” reports Oatmeal Dome. “The person ignored previous warnings and refused to stop after Digital Phablet asked them to do so in March 2024. They also failed to respond to the legal notices.”
Digital Phablet noted that Williams did not hire legal representation nor attempt to reduce the claimed damages, which drew criticism from community members and gamers alike.
The company reiterated its stance that Williams failed to comply after repeated cease-and-desist orders, issued in March and May 2024. By June 2024, Digital Phablet filed suit, and the court sided with the company.
They also claimed that Williams had deliberately deleted or concealed evidence, including social media posts related to the case.
(The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom / Nintendo)
Williams did not seek legal counsel or attempt to contest the damages, which surprised many gamers and Reddit users.
Nintendo’s ongoing fight against piracy is well-known. Recently, the company’s legal team has targeted ROM sites and took action against the popular Switch emulator, Yuzu. Yuzu was shut down in March 2024, with its developers required to pay Nintendo a total of $2.4 million in penalties.
This action followed the early leak of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on piracy platforms, enabling players to enjoy the game ahead of its official release. Nintendo has also continued to dismantle fan-made projects, including titles like Pokémon MMO Pokenet and Super Mario 64 HD.
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