Replace #2 []: We’ve been following the Nintendo v James ‘Archbox’ Williams piracy case for 2 years now, and this week, it appears to be like like issues have lastly come to an finish.
As a short refresher (yow will discover all the main points in our authentic protection beneath), Nintendo issued a lawsuit in opposition to the Reddit mod again in 2024, accusing him of promoting “large libraries of pirated Nintendo Swap video games”. Williams failed to indicate as much as the court docket listening to, so Nintendo pushed for a default judgment (passing the case with no court docket listening to), requesting an eye-watering $4,500,000 in damages.
A brand new court docket doc printed this week on twenty third September (through The Verge) states that the default judgment has now been handed: “For the entire foregoing causes, the Court docket GRANTS NOA’s movement for default judgment and a everlasting injunction. Dkt. No. 25. Default judgment shall enter in favor of NOA and in opposition to Williams”.
Alongside the $4.5m in damages for copyright infringement, which the court docket deems an “acceptable” quantity, the doc additionally orders that “Williams shall instantly disable entry to all on-line ‘outlets’ that he operates or in any other case controls which have provided to the general public in depth libraries of pirated Nintendo Swap video games for obtain”. All of Williams’ social media platforms associated to the libraries should even be closed.
Studying by way of the doc, plainly Williams has been principally uncontactable for the reason that lawsuit started, so it stays unclear precisely how the $4.5 million will probably be paid. Nonetheless, at the least the case is tied up now from a authorized standpoint.
Replace #1 []: If you happen to solid your thoughts again to final November, you may recall Nintendo of America was on monitor to select up one other lawsuit win after accused Swap “pirate” James ‘Archbox’ Williams didn’t plead or defend himself when known as to take action in court docket. The case ‘entered default’, granting NOA the fitting to take the complete requested quantity in damages consequently, although we did not know what the ultimate sum could be. Till now, that’s (thanks for the heads up, @OatmealDome).
In an up to date court docket doc dated twenty fourth October 2025, Nintendo concludes that it’s searching for $4,500,000 (roughly £3,355,000) in damages from Williams and a everlasting injunction to stop the defendant from piracy once more.
One part of the doc reads as follows:
NOA has been, and continues to be, broken as a direct and proximate results of Williams’ conduct. NOA has cause to consider that Williams has engaged within the infringing and illegal copy and distribution of a whole lot or hundreds of copyrighted Nintendo Swap Video games, and that by way of the varied Pirate Retailers, he has distributed or facilitated the distribution of hundreds, if not a whole lot of hundreds, of unauthorized copies of such Nintendo Swap Video games. NOA additionally has expended and continues to expend important sources to halt or stem online game piracy, together with by way of creating, implementing, and updating its TPMs and policing and investigating reviews of piracy akin to Williams’.
In line with the doc, Williams has remained silent on the matter. NOA states that it was contacted by a lawyer claiming to characterize the defendant again in January 2025 with a message that learn “Mr. Williams understands that Nintendo might have a proper to acquire paperwork in help of its movement for default judgment”, although there was no additional communication within the months since.
It stays to be seen whether or not Williams pays as much as Nintendo’s calls for, however the Massive N is exhibiting no indicators of backing down any time quickly.
Authentic Story: Again in July, Nintendo dished out a handful of lawsuits in its continued clampdown on Swap piracy. 4 months on, considered one of these authorized claims has come again as one other win for Nintendo after the defendant didn’t plead or in any other case reply inside the court docket’s given time.
The case in query was in opposition to James ‘Archbox’ Williams, the lead moderator of the r/SwitchPirates subreddit, who Nintendo accused of providing “large libraries of pirated Nintendo Swap video games” through a number of “pirate outlets”.
In line with the preliminary case, Williams was a self-confessed “pirate” who had beforehand publicly said that he “[isn’t] going to provide Nintendo $50 for a recreation”. The lawsuit (as shared by TorrentFreak) noticed Nintendo request “precise or most statutory damages” for a number of violations ought to he be discovered responsible.
Nonetheless, no such ruling has needed to happen. In a brand new court docket doc filed by the Superior Court docket of the state of Washington on eighth November, it was revealed that the case has now ‘entered default’ after Williams “didn’t plead or in any other case defend inside the time prescribed by the Federal Guidelines of Civil
Process”.
A default judgment might be reached early on in authorized proceedings if the defendant fails to take the required actions. On this occasion, the declare might be handed with no court docket listening to, often granting the claimant the complete requested quantity plus curiosity and prices.
An accompanying extra detailed doc from Washington’s District Court docket explains that Williams responded to a Nintendo stop and desist letter in March 2024 stating that he would “‘comply and cooperate with any calls for or requests . . . inside [his] management’ however denying any infringement of Nintendo’s mental property”.
Nintendo then despatched a court docket order to the identical tackle (and one other potential abode that the doc describes because the “Shock Deal with”), to which Williams didn’t reply inside the prescribed time. And so we arrive on the default judgement.
The court docket can put aside this resolution if it transpires that Williams did reply to the proceedings or if it guidelines that Williams has a robust sufficient defence. However, in the interim, at the least, this appears to be like like one other line within the ‘win’ column for Nintendo.
A Nintendo lawsuit submitted across the identical time because the Williams case was in opposition to modchip vendor Modded {Hardware}. This declare is now progressing to the following stage, with the alleged proprietor of the shop, Ryan Daly, standing self-represented in court docket.