R Switch Piracy (2024)

FAQs

Can you go to jail for pirating switch games? ›

That's illegal but you'll never get caught for it. But if you start selling pirated games and made profit from it, you can face civil or even criminal charges. For example, Gary Bowser was arrested in late 2020 for selling Switch modchips and he got sued by Nintendo for $10 million.

Online piracy and counterfeiting of Nintendo's video game products is illegal. We hope to enlist your support for intellectual property protection and, with your help, reduce video game piracy worldwide. We appreciate your support in the battle against piracy.

The Switch however, will not play a pirated game and you'll likely lose your Switch account, making it impossible to download games. You'd only be able to play offline any games already downloaded to the system or game cards you've already bought.

Unfortunately, we are unable to remotely format a device or remotely block a Nintendo Account from being used. If you are interested in recovering the Nintendo Account from the device that was lost or stolen, please see Nintendo Account Recovery Process.

By enforcing copyright laws, Nintendo aims to prevent unauthorized copies of their games and products from circulating in the market. Additionally, Nintendo's strict copyright enforcement is consistent with their business strategy, which relies on exclusive content to drive sales of their hardware and software.

The man who owes Nintendo $14m: Gary Bowser and gaming's most infamous piracy case. In April 2023, a 54-year-old programmer named Gary Bowser was released from prison having served 14 months of a 40-month sentence. Good behaviour reduced his time behind bars, but now his options are limited.

One of the most significant risks of jailbreaking a Nintendo Switch is the possibility of rendering your console inoperable or "bricked." A bricked console becomes entirely non-functional, leaving you with a device that essentially becomes an expensive paperweight.

Nintendo works closely with domestic and international enforcement authorities and Internet-monitoring agencies to curtail the spread of piracy and to demonstrate that the consequences for this illegal activity are real.

Using the device's serial number

Although the Nintendo Switch lacks GPS tracking built-in, knowing how to use its serial number will help law enforcement in their attempts to retrieve your system. Report the theft to local law enforcement immediately.

What happens if I buy a banned Switch? ›

Banned Switches can't play games online, buy new games, or even access the Nintendo eShop, so if you see yourself doing any of those in the future, don't buy a banned Switch. Surprisingly, there's quite a market for banned Switches out there, and that's because of one thing: mods.

Reasons you might get banned for: cheating online, playing pirated games while connected to their network, using major glitches in online multiplayer, installing NSPs online and some other things.

Legal Repercussions for Pirates: Individuals caught engaging in piracy can face legal actions, including fines and, in some cases, imprisonment. This legal risk adds a further negative dimension to the impact of piracy.

Video game piracy is illegal. Nintendo cooperates with law enforcement officials and aggressively pursues legal actions worldwide against those involved in Nintendo piracy.

Answer: Individuals can be caught pirating video games through various means, such as ISP monitoring, anti-piracy software embedded in games, or investigations by legal authorities. Once identified, legal action can be taken by the copyright holders.

The Law of Software Piracy

The law makes it a felony, punishable by either two, three, or five years in state prison, to take a trademarked product worth more than $400 and copy it without the trademark owner's permission.