Police conduct raid on YouTuber over retro gaming handheld reviews

A YouTuber from Italy known for reviewing handheld gaming devices found himself unexpectedly facing law enforcement action. Francesco Salicini, the creator behind the YouTube channel Once Were Nerd, was the subject of a raid conducted by Italian customs officers from the Guardia di Finanza, according to Android Authority.

Salicini's content, which included reviews of retro gaming devices from brands such as ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI, led to authorities confiscating a collection of over 30 devices, as well as his personal smartphone. Along with the equipment, he submitted all his communication records with the device makers.

Eurogamer reported that Salicini is under suspicion of breaching Article 171-ter of Italian Copyright Law, a charge that could result in penalties of up to $17,000 or imprisonment for three years. The investigation's results will determine the charges, if any, that he might face. Despite documents hinting that the issue might involve intellectual property from companies like Nintendo and Sony, the seizure might have been enacted by the agency on its own accord.

Through a machine-translated statement, Salicini emphasized, "I have never 'sponsored' these products, only 'reviewed' them with complete fairness, highlighting both advantages and drawbacks."

He continued, "Currently, as a preventive measure, the Guardia di Finanza has begun to block all my social media accounts, hindering my ability to post more content unrelated to this inquiry."

"This situation will likely progress to a trial, and I have already engaged a defense attorney. You can imagine the financial burden of facing this, which I believe to be unjust, since none of my videos, which exceed 200, breach YouTube's community guidelines."

Nintendo has been actively opposing game piracy and emulator use. The company recently tightened its Account Agreement and Privacy Policy to curb these practices, as noted by GamesIndustry.biz. Nintendo has also reportedly suspended access to online services for users of the MIG Switch on the Switch 2 and has pursued legal actions against sites supporting piracy, such as Yuzu, Tropic Haze, and Nsw2u.