Nintendo Switch modder ordered to pay $2 million in piracy lawsuit

Nintendo has notched another victory in its crusade against piracy. Last week, a Washington District Court judge ordered Ryan Daley to pay Nintendo $2 million and stop selling modded Switch consoles online, as reported earlier by Engadget.

In a copyright lawsuit filed last year, Nintendo accused Daley of operating the website Modded Hardware, which sold modded Switch consoles, modchips used to hack into Switch devices, and Mig flash cartridges that allow people to play pirated copies of games.

Nintendo claimed Daley caused the company “significant and irreparable harm” — and the judge agreed. “The MIG Devices, Mod Chips, Hacked Consoles, and Circumvention Services allow members of the public to create, distribute, and play pirated Nintendo games on a massive scale,” the ruling states. Daley denied any wrongdoing.

Piracy lawsuits from Nintendo have become increasingly common, with the company winning its case against a file-sharing site accused of hosting pirated games earlier this year. Nintendo’s legal actions have led to the shutdown of Switch emulators, including Yuzu and Ryujinx. The company has also made it clear that it may brick Switch 2 consoles if players try to mod the device.

Daley, who chose to fight Nintendo without a lawyer, is now banned from modding Switch consoles, as well as from using devices designed to circumvent the console’s security measures. The judge also ordered the seizure, impoundment, or destruction of all devices owned by Daley that may contain copyright-infringing material.