Nintendo of America is pursuing $4.5 million in damages from a Reddit user over alleged copyright infringements

Nintendo of America has filed a claim for $4.5 million in damages against a Reddit user identified as James C. Williams, also known online as 'Archbox'.

This legal move was initiated earlier this month with a submission to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The focus is on securing financial compensation after a legal dispute that commenced in March 2024.

Nintendo accuses Williams of actions like illegal sharing of Switch games, spreading this content over the internet, and distributing software that bypasses security measures.

According to Nintendo, these practices have seriously hurt their business as well as the intellectual property of their collaborators. These challenges are said to negatively affect developers, artists, and programmers whose income depends on legal Nintendo sales.

Regarding the financial claim, Nintendo believes the damage caused is so significant it is hard to compute, but it is certain that the required amount would be sizable.

Nintendo emphasized the financial claim is insufficient to truly account for the impact of Williams' behavior, underlining the gravity of the issues involved.

Initially, in March 2024, Nintendo sent Williams a cease and desist letter. The document states that Williams acknowledged the infringement but did not entirely abandon his activities, even claimed some denial regarding operations tied to 'Pirate Shops'.

When asked to confirm his compliance in writing, Williams reportedly became contentious and unyielding.

The case notes that Nintendo provided Williams a last chance to meet its requirements before starting litigation. However, allegations suggest he tried to remove or hide crucial evidence, including deleting his GitHub account and erasing related social media interactions.

In July 2024, Nintendo initiated legal proceedings against Williams and another person for purportedly breaching copyright laws by trading and selling devices that bypass copyrights.

Lawsuits continued as Nintendo pursued additional unauthorized Switch sellers and modders later that year, with the case against Williams concluding in Nintendo's favor via a default judgment due to his absence from court proceedings.