Nintendo is notoriously anti-piracy, and has fought countless times in the past to stop anyone who finds ways to circumvent their operating systems to support flash carts and other software mods. A new ruling from a Canadian court is just another victory for the Japanese publisher.
Gamespot reports Nintendo won a $9.5-million (US) judgment against Jeramie King, who ran a business called Go Cyber Shopping, which was described as a “large-scale” seller of game copiers, mod chips, and flash carts for the Nintendo 3DS console.
Nintendo says the devices allow people to download Nintendo games without paying for them, and thus violating copyright law. The ruling also mandates that King issue a public apology on his company’s website.
“Nintendo has an established track record that demonstrates our resolve to protect our iconic characters and franchises,” Devon Pritchard, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of business affairs, said in a press release. “We will continue to protect the creative works of our developers and vigorously enforce our intellectual property rights against those that attempt to steal or misuse them.”
By this point it’s not a surprise that Nintendo went after King, as the company is very involved in protecting its properties at all costs, including the risk of alienating fans: they’ve shutdown a number of fan projects including Pokemon Uranium and Metroid 2 remake Project AM2R. They have also received some harsh criticism for their policies toward game livestreamers, particularly on YouTube, in a move that “destroyed” several YouTube channels.
The company also sued Australian mod chip makers in 2010, winning a half-million-dollar judgment against a group making the devices for the Nintendo DS.
Nintendo is so protective of its copyright, in fact, that it has sued a Japanese go-kart service for offering a clearly copyright-infringing tour of Tokyo, complete with Mario character outfits.
Published: Mar 8, 2017 08:26 am