Reddit Moderator Ordered to Pay Nintendo $4.5 Million in Switch Piracy Lawsuit
A Washington federal judge has ordered James 'archbox' Williams, a Reddit moderator, to pay Nintendo $4.5 million and shut down his alleged pirate shops distributing unauthorized copies of Switch games. The ruling follows a default judgment issued after Williams failed to respond to the lawsuit filed in 2024. Nintendo accused Williams of leading the r/SwitchPirates community where users contributed eShop gift cards and game copies for piracy, while also promoting circumvention tools. Judge Lauren King ruled that Nintendo demonstrated clear violations of copyright law through these activities. The $150,000 per violation award covers 30 games including Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This case is part of a broader legal strategy by Nintendo to combat piracy in recent years, following similar victories such as the Netherlands court ruling against Mig flash cartridges.
Topics: gaming intellectual_property lawsuits piracy