Nintendo has won a $4.5 million default judgment against James Williams, the Reddit moderator known online as Archbox, in a Nintendo Switch piracy lawsuit. The court also permanently barred him from distributing pirated Nintendo games or software used to bypass the console’s copy protection.
The judgment follows a complaint filed in 2024 by Nintendo of America. Williams did not respond to the lawsuit, although the judge said he knew about the case after hiring a lawyer to challenge a Google subpoena.
Nintendo Switch piracy lawsuit ends with a default judgment
According to Video Games Chronicle’s report, Nintendo accused Williams of helping run several online “Pirate Shops” offering libraries of copied Switch games. The complaint also described him as a leading moderator of the r/SwitchPirates subreddit, which had grown to about 190,000 members.
Nintendo said Williams encouraged eShop gift-card donations to buy games for the piracy network. Nintendo sought statutory damages for 30 specific first-party titles.
The amount works out to $150,000 per game, the maximum statutory award for wilful copyright infringement in the US. GamesRadar’s report notes that Nintendo itself described the figure as nowhere near full compensation for the alleged conduct.
What the Nintendo Switch piracy lawsuit means for Archbox
The permanent injunction goes beyond the 30 games named in the damages request. Williams is prohibited from distributing any pirated Nintendo game, advertising or encouraging downloads, and distributing software or hardware that circumvents Nintendo’s protections. The order also requires him to disable online shops and social accounts used to promote the activity.
Nintendo has pursued similar cases against emulator developers and piracy operators, including the Yuzu settlement covered in our report on Nintendo removing 401 Switch emulator repositories. The company’s legal strategy remains consistent: pursue the people supplying copied games and the tools that make them easier to run, rather than treating downloads as an isolated act.
The judgment concerns the specific conduct alleged against Williams, and was entered by default after he failed to defend the case. Nintendo’s demand was granted in full, which is a particularly expensive way to stop replying to legal paperwork.
Nintendo Switch 2 owners can read our guide to the latest Switch 2 system update for unrelated, entirely legitimate console maintenance.
Was Archbox found guilty at trial?
No. The court entered a default judgment after James Williams failed to respond to Nintendo’s lawsuit, so the case did not go to trial.
What does the injunction prohibit?
It prohibits Williams from distributing pirated Nintendo games, promoting downloads, or distributing software and hardware that circumvents Nintendo’s copy protection.
Why did Nintendo claim $150,000 per game?
US copyright law allows statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work when infringement is wilful. Nintendo applied that maximum to 30 games.
