Nintendo Tracks Down Alleged Switch Pirate Through Reddit Posts
Nintendo has been cracking down on Switch piracy, and their latest target was James “Archbox” Williams, the main moderator of r/SwitchPirates on Reddit. The Japanese company reportedly located Williams after commissioning a law firm to investigate online repositories for pirated Switch games known as “freeshops”.
By analyzing Williams’ past online posts, particularly one from 2015 under the username “archbox”, where he praised Midwestern University’s optometry clinic, the law firm linked Archbox to two Nintendo accounts registered to James Williams. Additionally, Williams’ use of the same email address for Nintendo Switch repairs enabled Nintendo to trace his shipping address.
After obtaining Williams’ address, Nintendo issued a cease and desist letter. Initially, Williams agreed to comply with the demands but later disappeared and failed to appear in court, resulting in a default judgment in favor of Nintendo.
In case you missed it, Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against a streamer who broadcasted 10 pirated games before their official release, including titles like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Mario & Luigi: Brothership.
When Nintendo sought to shut down Jesse Keighin’s streams through copyright notices on various platforms, Keighin reportedly challenged them, claiming he could continue with a thousand burner accounts. According to Nintendo, Keighin not only broadcasted unreleased games but also provided instructions on obtaining pirated games through what Nintendo refers to as “trafficking” circumvention devices.