Nintendo secures a $2 million settlement and obtains a permanent injunction against a Switch piracy offender

Ryan Michael Daly has consented to a $2 million settlement with Nintendo, following accusations by Nintendo of America in July last year. The gaming giant alleged that Daly was involved in the trade and sale of devices meant to bypass copyright restrictions on their products, as per a legal report.

Daly, through his Modded Hardware website, was selling products such as the MIG Switch and MIG Dumper. Despite initially contesting these claims, Daly settled to avoid litigation, agreeing to compensate Nintendo $2 million.

The settlement involves Daly admitting to violating both copyright laws and the DMCA's clauses on circumventing technological protections, according to a recent court order. The accusations included illicit dealing in devices that facilitate unauthorized copies of Nintendo software.

Court documents state, "The actions of Daly have resulted in substantial damage to [Nintendo of America], as the MIG devices and services enable widespread unauthorized use and distribution of pirated Nintendo games."

The court imposed a permanent injunction against Daly, barring him from selling or promoting any device that could disable security technology in Nintendo’s hardware or software. Such devices include Mod Chips, MIG Dumpers, and MIG Switches.

Additionally, this July, the FBI shut down the piracy site Nsw2u as part of a broader crackdown on illegal activities concerning Nintendo's products.