Nintendo piracy lawsuit seeks $4.5 million settlement from Reddit mod who sold Switch ROMs
The popularity of the Switch 2 hasn’t stopped individuals from profiting off original Switch ROMs. With emulators still available, gamers seek out websites and groups to locate these files. A Nintendo lawsuit had already won a default judgment against James “Archbox” Williams, moderator of a Switch piracy subreddit. Now, it’s requesting $4.5 million in damages from a U.S. federal court for copyright infringement claims.
Legal action against Williams began in 2024, after Nintendo hired a law firm to investigate online piracy shops. According to the complaint, he used Reddit to educate readers about piracy software and direct them to his websites. Posters in the Gaming subreddit claim that the sites would sell downloadable Switch ROMs without bandwidth restrictions.
The Japanese gaming giant argued that Williams is responsible for the “distribution of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of unauthorized copies of such Nintendo Switch Games”. The Reddit mod failed to respond to cease-and-desist requests, which prompted the court to rule in Nintendo’s favor.
The Archbox Nintendo lawsuit follows a similar pattern
A $4.5 million judgment would be substantial in a case involving a single individual. Even so, the company has secured large settlements in similar copyright infringement lawsuits. In September, another U.S. federal court awarded Nintendo $2 million in a decision lost by Ryan Daly. Daly operated the Modded Hardware eShop, which sold the infamous MIG Switch.
Nintendo lawsuits have also targeted streamers who promote emulators or Switch ROMs. Still, while some critics find the company’s legal actions overly aggressive, other gamers lack sympathy for Archbox. The downloads are often available for free, but some sellers repackage files obtained from other sources. In the case of Williams, gamers explain that his sites would ask for donations to restore the free server option. Otherwise, customers would have no option but to purchase pro accounts.
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