Japan Cracks Down on Video Game Piracy with First Modder Arrest

Japanese authorities have made a landmark arrest in the fight against video game piracy. For the first time, a suspect has been apprehended for modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to enable the playing of pirated games.

According to NTV News, a 58-year-old man was arrested on January 15th, facing charges under the Trademark Act. The individual allegedly altered second-hand Switch consoles by soldering modified components onto the circuit boards, allowing them to run illegally copied software. Each modified console, pre-loaded with 27 pirated games, was reportedly sold for ¥28,000 (approximately $180).

The suspect has confessed to the allegations, and further investigations are underway to determine the extent of his activities.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle between video game publishers and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, has pursued numerous legal actions, including a 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, cited the unauthorized distribution of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, estimating over one million pirated copies before its official launch.

The legal landscape surrounding video game piracy is evolving. Previous successful lawsuits against websites like RomUniverse, resulting in multi-million dollar damages, and the blocking of emulators like Dolphin from Steam, demonstrate the increasing efforts to combat illegal activity.

Recently, Koji Nishiura, Nintendo's Assistant Manager of the Intellectual Property Division, shed light on the company's strategy, emphasizing the potential for emulators to facilitate software piracy, even if the emulators themselves aren't inherently illegal. The use of such technology to play pirated games, however, is clearly a violation of copyright law.