- Last year, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Modded Hardware over copyright violations.
- Nintendo has now won the $2 million lawsuit against the company operator, Ryan Daly.
- Daly must surrender the Modded Hardware domain and destroy all related items.
Nintendo has built up quite a reputation in the gaming industry to take severe legal action against anyone who attempts to tamper with its products. The most recent lawsuit was against Modded Hardware, a company known to alter Switch hardware and firmware to accommodate pirated games and more.
The lawsuit was filed about a year ago by Nintendo. A year later, the court has finally reached a verdict, ruling in Nintendo’s favor in the $2 million case.
Why it matters: Piracy is a serious problem in the gaming industry and continues to rise. It’s good that Nintendo won this lawsuit which is a big step against these practices.
Initially, Ryan Daly, the operator behind Modded Hardware, denied any allegations surrounding invalid copyrights and used multiple defenses such as lack of evidence, fair use, and more.
However, the U.S. court findings conclude that Daly’s actions have indeed caused severe and irreparable damage to Nintendo via copyright infringement.
Defendant’s conduct has caused NOA significant and irreparable harm.
Modded Hardware used to sell MIG Switch, a device that mimics a Switch cartridge, allowing users to load any game onto it. Moreover, the company also sold mod chips, hacked consoles, and jailbreaking services.
The lawsuit rules that Daly must pay $2 million to Nintendo as statutory damages, to which the defendant has agreed. Moreover, Daly is also banned from ever selling MIG switches, modded hardware, or providing any similar service for life.
Additionally, the defendant is ordered to destroy all the items responsible for these services and hand over the Modded Hardware domain to Nintendo.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com