A Nintendo patent attorney has reiterated the company's strict no-tolerance stance on the practice of emulation

The general manager at Nintendo's Intellectual Property division has addressed the topic of emulation in relation to the company's policies.

Speaking at the Tokyo eSports Festa 2025 during a session organized by Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software, Koji Nishiura, who also holds qualifications as a patent attorney, elaborated on the company's stance in his presentation titled "The Importance of Intellectual Property Rights in the Game Industry."

According to an article by Denfaminicogamer and shared by Automaton, Nishiura conveyed that while emulation software by itself is not necessarily unlawful, the legality is contingent on its usage. For example, if an emulator duplicates a game’s files or facilitates access to pirated copies, it breaches copyright laws. Additionally, if an emulator bypasses a game's protection measures, it infringes upon the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in Japan.

Nishiura emphasized that Nintendo's efforts against emulator developers, such as those behind the Yuzu emulator, are aimed at safeguarding both its own intellectual properties and those of third-party developers creating games for its platforms.

In related news, Nintendo has unveiled its plans for the Switch 2, confirming a 2025 launch for the upcoming console as detailed in a recent announcement from GamesIndustry.biz.