Nintendo secured a legal victory against Ryan Daley, who was ordered by a Washington District Court judge to pay $2 million and cease the online sale of modified Nintendo Switch consoles. The ruling, initially reported by Engadget, stems from a copyright lawsuit filed last year accusing Daley of operating the website Modded Hardware.
The lawsuit alleged that Daley sold modchips, hacked Switch consoles, and Mig flash cartridges, enabling widespread piracy of Nintendo games. Nintendo argued, and the judge agreed, that Daley’s actions caused “significant and irreparable harm” to the company. The court ruling stated that the products and services offered by Daley facilitated the creation, distribution, and playing of pirated Nintendo games on a large scale.
Daley, who represented himself without legal counsel, denied any wrongdoing. However, the court found him liable and issued an order prohibiting him from modding Switch consoles or using devices designed to bypass the console’s security measures. The judge further mandated the seizure, impoundment, or destruction of any devices owned by Daley containing copyright-infringing material.
This victory is part of Nintendo’s ongoing efforts to combat piracy, which recently included winning a case against a file-sharing site accused of hosting pirated games. Nintendo’s legal actions have also resulted in the shutdown of Switch emulators like Yuzu and Ryujinx. The company has warned that it may implement measures to render Switch 2 consoles inoperable if players attempt to modify them.
