Nintendo wins Dutch court case over Switch piracy devices
Game over: Dutch court sides with Nintendo in latest legal battle.
Nintendo's Super Mario character is inside a Target store. by Kevin Carter/Getty Images.
- Nintendo won a Dutch court case against a seller of devices used to bypass Switch security and copy games.
- The seller must stop selling the devices immediately and faces fines of €10,000 per day for breaking the order.
- The seller also linked to 400 unauthorized game copies and provided instructions for installing illegal content.
- Nintendo welcomed the ruling, warning players against using piracy devices, software or unauthorized game copies.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Devices designed to circumvent Nintendo’s security measures on the Nintendo Switch are unlawful and therefore can no longer be sold.
That’s the ruling of the District Court of The Hague in a case Nintendo filed against a seller of devices designed to play and create unauthorized copies of Nintendo video games, circumventing the company’s technical protection measures.
The seller was a so-called dropshipper, a person who sells products without having them in stock. When a buyer places an order, the dropshipper buys the product from a supplier, who then ships it directly to the customer.
According to court documents, the seller owned multiple websites between September 2024 and December 2024 where he sold “MIG Switch Cards” and “MIG Switch Dumpers.” These devices are specifically designed to crack Nintendo’s security measures to make unauthorized copies of official Nintendo Switch games.
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In addition, the defendant published hyperlinks to Nintendo video game titles that provided access to 400 unauthorized copies of these games, as well as instructions for installing illegal content.
Nintendo asked the judge to ban the defendant from offering and selling MIG Switch Cards, MIG Switch Dumpers, and similar devices as they infringe Nintendo’s copyright and encourage piracy.
The District Court of The Hague ruled in favor of Nintendo and ordered the dropshipper to immediately stop selling any devices that can circumvent Nintendo’s technical security measures.
On top of that, the defendant is ordered to pay a penalty of €10,000 per day if he fails to comply with this order, up to a maximum of €500,000.
Nintendo welcomed the court’s ruling.
“Nintendo’s message to players is to avoid purchasing or using circumvention devices, circumvention software, or unauthorized copies of video games, as this increases the risk of interfering with the functionality and experience provided by authentic Nintendo game consoles, video games, and systems,” the Japanese video game company said in a statement to players.
The recent ruling follows the landmark decision against importers and sellers of Nintendo DS circumvention devices rendered by the same court in 2010, and further bolsters the legal basis for rights holders to protect against piracy.
