📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Nintendo Wins $4.5 Million Judgment Against r/SwitchPirates Mod ‘Archbox’
https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-wins-4-5-million-judgment-against-r-switchpirates-mod-archbox/
If you thought being a “self-proclaimed pirate” was just a edgy online persona, Nintendo is here to remind you that it comes with a very expensive price tag.
In a massive legal win, Nintendo has secured a $4.5 million judgment against James C. Williams—better known to the internet as “Archbox.” A prominent moderator on the r/SwitchPirates subreddit, Williams was accused of running “pirate shops” that distributed massive libraries of stolen Switch titles, including heavy hitters like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The case was a bit of a runaway: Williams failed to respond to the lawsuit, leading the judge to grant a default judgment. Because Williams’ own Reddit posts boasted about his refusal to pay for games, the judge ruled his infringement was “willful” and “egregious,” awarding the statutory maximum damages.
The fallout is pretty absolute:
- A $4.5 million bill: Nintendo is seeking the maximum penalty for 30 specific titles.
- A permanent ban: Williams is legally barred from distributing pirated games or software that bypasses Nintendo’s security.
- Digital scorched earth: He’s required to shut down all associated accounts across Reddit, Discord, X, and Telegram.
While collecting $4.5 million from an unresponsive individual might be a long shot, the message to the modding community is loud and clear: Nintendo isn’t playing games.