58-Year-Old Nintendo Switch Modder Gets Suspended Sentence in Japan

A trial against a 58-year-old man who modified Nintendo Switch consoles has ended in Japan. The court found that the defendant opened the devices and installed unofficial components that allowed pirated copies of games to run. For violating Nintendo’s copyright, the court imposed a suspended sentence of 2 years in prison with a probationary period of 3 years and a fine of $3.5 thousand.

This case is another example of Nintendo’s tough policy in protecting its intellectual property. The company regularly files lawsuits against modders and pirates, although it does not always succeed – as in the case of a case lost in January against a Costa Rican Super Mario store.

The Japanese giant continues to actively fight any attempts to bypass the protection of its devices, setting serious precedents for potential violators.