Tag: Legal - Page 2
News Nintendo Wins $2.1 Million In Lawsuit Against ROM Website
Another one bites the dust
Back in September 2019, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the game download portal website, RomUniverse. The site reportedly facilitated massive online copyright infringement of many popular Nintendo titles. It also profited by selling paid premium accounts - lifting the cap on the number of games users could download. The...
News "As You Can See, I'm Not A Switch Player" Admits Epic Games' Tim Sweeney
"Now the world knows"
Epic Games and Apple are currently exchanging blows in court, as you'll no doubt be aware. Fortnite maker Epic is asserting that Apple's App Store is essentially a money-grabbing monopoly and is harming the games industry, and to prove the point, Epic founder Tim Sweeney produced a Switch console during the trial. Why would...
Random Want To Develop For Nintendo Switch? Better Make Sure You're Not A Yakuza, Then
We hope you don't plan to use "threat or violence in connection with transactions"
Remember all that fuss between Epic Games and Apple regarding Fortnite on the App Store? Well, the court trial involving these two giants is currently underway, and as part of the legal proceedings, Nintendo has kindly provided its own publisher contract. While much...
News Nintendo Scores Another Victory In Its War Against Switch Piracy
So long, Winmart
Back in 2020, Nintendo took legal action against Le Hoang Minh – a Vietnamese citizen trading on Amazon under the name Winmart – to prevent the sale of RCM Loaders, which use special software to hack the console and permit the running of unlicensed code, as well as pirated games. It has now been confirmed that Nintendo has...
News Nintendo Is Suing A Reported "Leader" Of The Notorious Piracy Group Team Xecuter
So long, Gary Bowser
Nintendo appears to be fed up with Bowser and has decided to take some action. No, this isn't about Mario's archenemy or the current Nintendo of America president, Doug - we're talking about Gary Bowser, one of the supposed leaders of the "notorious" piracy group, Team Xecuter. As you might recall, Bowser - a 51-year-old...
News Nintendo May Have Issued A Copyright Claim To Take Down Some Raunchy Bowser Art
NSFW DMCA
It's safe to say that this news piece is really going to stretch the boundaries of what is possible to talk about on a family-friendly website, but before we begin: this article will not actually feature the image in question, but it's probably not safe to read at work, either. Then again, why are you reading about video games at work? Get...
News Germany Is Considering An 18+ Rating On Video Games With Loot Boxes
Pending approval from the Bundesrat
There's a good chance you've seen the controversies surrounding Loot Boxes. We've discussed them on numerous occasions, and there's been a longstanding debate over whether they're seen as gambling. Shockingly, publishers tend to
With $26.5m ready for extra claims
After reaching a settlement following a class-action lawsuit in connection with random loot boxes, Epic Games has revealed that it will be awarding in-game currency to affected players of both Fortnite and Rocket League. According to details on a settlement website for the case, the lawsuit alleges that "Epic...
News Nintendo Demands More Damages In Colopl Lawsuit, Now Suing For A Cool $47 Million
White Cat Project developer is accused of infringing six patents
You may recall that back in 2018, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against mobile games developer Colopl for around 4.4 billion yen ($41.7 million). It's not going away anytime soon – having entered multiple hearings – and now, Nintendo has raised that figure to 4.95 billion yen ($46.9...
News Cyberpunk 2077 And Witcher 3 Source Code Reportedly Being Auctioned After CD Projekt Hack
CD Projekt have refused to meet ransom demands
CD Projekt RED made the news again this week, confirming it had been targeted by a ransomware attack. Gaining access to a large swathe of employee data, this anonymous hacker also threatened to release The Witcher 3, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and
News It's "Plausible" The CD Projekt Server Hack Was An Inside Job, Claims Digital Privacy Expert
"They run a real risk that those games will be leaked online"
Earlier today, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red revealed that it had become the target of a ransomware attack. The studio posted the news online, publicly sharing a ransom note said to be left by a hacker which claimed that the source code for some of its top...
News Don't Buy Devil Engine, Say Game's Artist And Musician
The saga isn't over yet
Devil Engine is a fine shooter, but it's sadly been overshadowed by legal shenanigans which have been rumbling on for quite some time now – shenanigans which have delayed the release of the game's update, Devil Engine Ignition. Protoculture Games (AKA Tristan Chapman) – the developer of Devil Engine – claimed in July...
News Several Huge Games Publishers Were Fined £7 Million For Geo-Blocking Sales
Someone get Phoenix Wright on the case
The EU is cracking down on sales practices that disadvantage customers, according to a report by BBC News. Six publishers have been fined €7.8 million (£6.9 million) for restricting cross-border sales, including Valve, Bandai Namco, Capcom, ZeniMax, Focus Home, and Koch Media. The practice, known as...
News Nintendo To Face Another Class Action Lawsuit For Switch "Joy-Con Drift"
But hey, it's the first of 2021
It's now been nearly four years since the Nintendo Switch was released and it seems "Joy-Con drift" issues persist. In the latest development, Lambert Avocat Inc. - a law firm located in Quebec, Canada, has filed a Joy-Con drift class action suit application on 15th January 2021. It's now waiting for a judge to...
News Dangen And Protoculture Settle Devil Engine Dispute, But There's More Trouble Ahead
Developer no longer has the rights to the art and music in the game
Update: It doesn't look like things are quite sorted yet, as Thomas and Joseph Bailey – the artist and musician of Devil Engine – have issued their own statement, saying that Tristan Chapman (lead developer and designer of the game) no longer has the right to use the art and...
News Nintendo Issues Mass DMCA Takedown, 379 Fan-Made Games Forcibly Removed
Nintendo's legal team strikes again
A total of 379 fan-made games have been removed from gaming website and hosting service Game Jolt after Nintendo of America issued a mass DMCA takedown. As reported by TorrentFreak, Nintendo of America's legal team sent DMCA notices to the offending site in December. The warning, which has been published online...
News Tokyo's Unofficial Mario Kart Service Loses Supreme Court Appeal
Sealing Nintendo's win
Remember that knock-off Mario Kart service operating in Tokyo? Since 2017, it's been engaged in an ongoing legal battle with Nintendo, but it looks like its days are finally numbered. In January of this year, the go-kart firm was ordered to pay the video game giant 50 million yen for violating its IP rights. It appealed this...
"Controller modification isn’t the issue, use of copyright is"
Last year, popular YouTuber Desmond “Etika” Amofah tragically took his own life, so artist and content creator CptnAlex – who produces a wide range of customised shells and other items relating to Nintendo – decided to produce the ‘Etikon’ to raise money for JED Foundation,...
News Nintendo Hacker Who Stole "Confidential Information" Sentenced To Three Years In Prison
Was also in possession of explicit videos and images of minors
A 21-year-old man named Ryan Hernandez has been sentenced to three years in prison for his "computer hacking scheme" and "possession of child pornography" found on his digital devices. In 2016, Hernandez used phishing techniques to steal the credentials of a Nintendo employee - allowing...
Update: FIFPro wades in
Update: FIFPro has issued the following statement regarding this issue (thanks, Push Square): In light of recent media reports, FIFPro wishes to clarify the manner in which it obtains the image rights of players, and its role in defending the employment rights of professional footballers worldwide. FIFPro, a not-for-profit...
News Nicalis Is Issuing DMCA Takedown Notices To Free Versions Of Cave Story
"Do not support Nicalis. Do not buy Nicalis games"
Update: Ema – who worked on a fork of the CSE2 version of Cave Story – has gotten in touch to clarify some points: 1. This DMCA is strictly for CSE2, the fanmade decompilation of the original freeware version of Cave Story. Said freeware version is unaffected by the takedown, and can be...
News Nintendo Calls Switch Piracy "A Worsening International Problem" As It Sues Another Hack Seller
Going to court
Piracy on the Switch is proving to be a real problem for Nintendo, but it's one the company is tackling head-on. The firm has already won cases against online stores re-selling devices which can "jailbreak" the Switch, coming away with a c
News Nintendo Is Facing Another Class Action Lawsuit For Joy-Con Drift
Featuring a technical breakdown by an "expert"
Since the release of the Nintendo Switch, users have been experiencing issues with Joy-Con drift. It's resulted in multiple lawsuits and now another has been filed in the US. This latest one is based on a minor who experienced repeated drift issues with three pairs of Joy-Cons - even after getting them...
News Nintendo Lawyers Hit Fan-Made Zelda Game With Fatal Copyright Claim
And that's that
Nintendo's legal team has swooped in once again, filing a copyright claim on a fan-made Legend of Zelda game which has forced the project to be entirely delisted. Well-known modder Kaze Emanuar, who has been releasing a number of unofficial Nintendo-based projects over the last few years, launched a title called 'The Missing Link'...
News Popular Twitch And TikTok Star Pokeprincxss Has Been Sued By Nintendo
Forcing a name rebrand and payment
Popular TikTok user and Twitch streamer Pokeprincxss has been forced to rebrand and hand over money to Nintendo after being sued by the company. Gaining a mighty 1.9 million followers on TikTok and more than 50,000 followers on Twitch, the star has been se
Caught in the crossfire
Epic's Apple lawsuit could have "significant and serious ramifications" for platform holders like Nintendo, a judge has warned. After its battle royale juggernaut Fortnite was removed from the App Store in August for violating terms and conditions, Epic called out Apple for taking 30% of the cut from developers and declared...
News Nintendo Is Being Sued Over Joy-Con Drift Yet Again, This Time By A Child
Here we go again...
Nintendo is facing yet more trouble over the Joy-Con drift phenomenon as a mother and her 10-year-old child file a class-action lawsuit against the company. 'Joy-Con drift' refers to an issue where your Nintendo Switch controller will register movement even when you aren't applying any pressure to the control stick. The problem...
News Two Members Of "Notorious" Video Game Piracy Group Team Xecuter Arrested
Facing 11 felony counts
Two members of Team Xecuter - one of the world's most "notorious videogame piracy groups" - have been arrested. This is the same enterprise infamously known for exploiting vulnerabilities in Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft video game hardware. The United States Department of Justice revealed Max Louarn - a 48-year-old French...
News Nintendo Reportedly Arguing Switch Joy-Con Drift "Isn't A Real Problem"
Cue outrage
Joy-Con drift has been an ongoing topic throughout the Switch's life, but Nintendo is reportedly arguing it "isn't a real problem" and "hasn't caused anyone any inconvenience". Ouch! This is all according to the US law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D), who is now supposedly calling on consumers who...
News Nintendo Wins $2 Million In Lawsuit Against Switch Piracy Hack Store
Hacking tools to be destroyed
Nintendo has taken another positive step in its fight against Switch piracy, winning a legal battle to the tune of $2 million. As we reported back in May, Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against Uberchips.com and its owner, Tom Dilts Jr., a website accused of selling tools that can enable customers to play pirated...
News Nintendo Is Getting Sued Yet Again Over Switch Joy-Con Drift
"The Japanese giant chose not to modify the components subject to this failure"
Joy-Con drift has been a real bone of contention for Switch owners ever since the console launched in 2017, and Nintendo has faced more than one lawsuit over this alledged design fault. It's now facing another, this time in France. French consumer organisation UFC-Que...
News Naughty Game Starring Princess Peach Hit With Nintendo Copyright Complaint
After 8 years in development
Nintendo has hit another fan-made game with a copyright takedown notice, although this title is quite different from the usual ones making headlines. Peach's Untold Tale by South American-based developer Ivan Aedler, is a free hentai-style parody adult game starring the Mushroom Kingdom's princess that's well...far from...
News Legal Documents Show That Monster Energy Opposed Ubisoft's Gods & Monsters Game Title
Update: Ubisoft says legal pressure didn't cause name change
Update: Ubisoft has denied suggestions that Immortals Fenyx Rising's name change came about after legal pressure from Monster Energy. In a statement provided to Eurogamer, the company has said that the change "reflects a creative decision". "The name change for Immortals Fenyx Rising...
News Switch Owner Claims To Have Taken Nintendo To Court Over Joy-Con Drift, And Won
"Don’t give up and don’t take no for an answer"
A UK gamer who experienced 'Joy-Con drift' issues after purchasing a Nintendo Switch claims to have taken the company to court – and won. As you may know, the term 'Joy-Con drift' refers to an issue where your Joy-Con will register movement even when you aren't applying any pressure to the...
News Loot Boxes Are The Same As Gambling, Says The UK's House Of Lords
"There is a connection... between loot box spending and problem gambling"
Loot boxes in video games have been something of a contentious topic for a while now, and the UK's House of Lords ("The House of Lords Select Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry", to be precise) has just added its voice to the conversation,...
News The Super Mario 64 PC Port Just Got A 60fps Patch
Smoother than before
The Super Mario 64 PC mod - that Nintendo tried to take legal action against - has certainly come a long way since its unofficial release in May. When it first arrived it included 4K and ultra-widescreen support and in the following month, modders added in a modern Mario model and some imp
News Nintendo Targets Switch Modchip Installation Service In Latest Legal Crackdown
"Nintendo will not tolerate such baldly unlawful conduct"
Nintendo's New York legal team have issued a cease-and-desist letter to a US company that offers to install modchips in Switch for $60. Connecticut-based Logistics Consulting LLC immediately suspended its service when it received the notice earlier this month. Jenner & Block lawyer...
News Hacker Group Not Happy About Nintendo's "Censorship" And "Legal Scare Tactics"
"We are not a copyright-infringing ring of software pirates"
You might recall how Nintendo of America recently cracked down on Switch hack resellers that sell software allowing users to play pirated video games. The lawsuits targeted a number of websites that sold products reportedly made by an anonymous group of hackers known as "Team-Xecutor" –...
News Legal Crackdown On Mario 64 PC Port Not Enough To Stop Modders From Improving It
And download links are still circulating online
Despite Nintendo's crackdown last month on the Super Mario 64 PC port, it's reportedly not been enough to stop the project from being improved upon. According to VGC, the modding community is still continuing to enhance the visual elements of the not-so-original release - even though many of the...
News Switch Joy-Con Drift Claim Must Be Arbitrated, Says Illinois Federal Court
A win for Nintendo, but it's not out of the woods yet
If you're one of the many people who has suffered from Joy-Con drift in the past then you might be interested to know that a legal claim by a Switch owner that Nintendo of America has sold "defective" controllers with its consoles must go to arbitration. The decision was made on Thursday by the...
News Nintendo Of America Files Two New Lawsuits Against Switch Hack Resellers
Causing "tremendous harm"
Nintendo's legal team is at it again. Polygon reports Nintendo of America filed two lawsuits last Friday in an attempt to crack down on Switch hack resellers that sell software allowing users to play pirated video games. The first was filed against Tom Dilts Jr., who is believed to be the operator of the website UberChips,...
News Nintendo Cracks Down On The Super Mario 64 PC Port
Download links and YouTube videos are being targeted
Nintendo's legal eagles have reportedly begun targeting sites hosting compiled versions of the Super Mario 64 PC port which was made available on the internet last week. According to a follow-up story by Torrent Freak, after the initial VGC report, links to download the exec
News Gamevice's Patent War Against Nintendo Continues, As ITC Moves Forward With Evidentiary Hearing
Here we go again
At the start of April, peripherals manufacturer Gamevice filed a new patent-infringement complaint against Nintendo and appealed the case it previously lost. While some people thought this was a joke, given the timing of the news, we can assure you it's not. In fact, Gamevice's ongoing patent war against Nintendo and the Switch...
News Cooking Mama's IP Holder Evaluating Legal Options, After "Unauthorized Release" Of Cookstar
Mama is mad!
The IP holder and creator of Cooking Mama, Office Create, has released an important notice explaining how Cooking Mama: Cookstar was an "unauthorized release" by Planet Entertainment. The statement also mentions how the Japanese-based company is now evaluating all of its legal options against Planet, in order to protect its customers,...
You thought it was over?
Last month, we heard how Nintendo had won a lengthy legal battle against the peripherals manufacturer Gamevice, who accused Nintendo of America and Nintendo Co. Ltd in Japan of violating its patent on a "combination computing device and game controller" with a "flexible bridge section". At the time, it was thought to be...
News Sony Intends To Remove More Nintendo Projects From Its PS4 Exclusive Dreams
A case-by-case takedown
Last weekend, news surfaced on social media that Sony had begun to take action against certain uploads and projects in Media Mocule's latest title, Dreams. In particular, Nintendo-themed ones. A user named @Piece_of_Craft shed some light via Twitter, explaining how they h
News Nintendo Shuts Down Kickstarter Campaign Over Animal Crossing Copyright Infringement
Here we go again
Nintendo is well known for being understandably protective over its products and trademarks, so it comes as little surprise that the gaming giant has taken legal action on a Kickstarter campaign found guilty of copyright infringement. The ‘New Adventures Passport Travel Holder’ launched with a funding target of £1,000, giving...
News Mario Project In PS4's Dreams Comes To A Halt For Containing "Copyrighted Material"
The beginning of the end
It appears to have finally happened – after a few months of PlayStation 4 users creating absolutely any kind of game they wanted to in Media Molecule's latest hit Dreams, Sony has begun to take action against certain themed uploads. Dreams content creator @Piece_of_Craft shed some light on the situation, explaining how...
News Nintendo Wins Switch Patent Dispute Against Peripherals Manufacturer Gamevice
PTAB invalidates all 19 claims
Remember when the peripherals manufacturer Gamevice launched a case against Nintendo and the Switch? It accused both Nintendo of America and Nintendo Co. Ltd in Japan of violating its patent on a "combination computing device and game controller" with a "flexible bridge section". It then dropped the case and filed...
News Nintendo's Request To Dismiss Joy-Con Drift Lawsuit Gets Rejected
Case will go to arbitration
The ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning alleged Joy-Con drift issues will go to arbitration, it has been confirmed. According to Law360 (thanks, VGC), US District Judge Thomas S. Zill