Japanese police have made a landmark arrest, charging a 58-year-old man with violating the Trademark Act. This marks the first time someone has been arrested in Japan for modifying Nintendo Switch hardware to run pirated games. The man allegedly altered second-hand consoles by welding modified parts onto their circuit boards, enabling them to play 27 illegally obtained games. He then sold these modified consoles for approximately $180 each. The suspect has confessed to the charges, and further investigations are underway to determine the extent of his illegal activities.

This arrest highlights the ongoing battle against video game piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, recently issued a takedown request for 8,500 copies of the Switch emulator Yuzu in May 2024, following the emulator's shutdown two months prior. Their earlier lawsuit against Yuzu's creator cited the million-plus pirated copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before its official release.

Legal action against piracy is intensifying. Past successes include lawsuits against RomUniverse, resulting in multi-million dollar damages awarded to Nintendo. Nintendo also successfully blocked the release of the GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin on Steam.

Recently, a Nintendo patent lawyer shed light on the company's anti-piracy strategy. Koji Nishiura, Assistant Manager of the Intellectual Property Division, clarified that while emulators aren't inherently illegal, their use for playing pirated games constitutes a violation.