A Japanese Modder Sentenced 3 Years for Modding

Drama

16 April 2025 11:10

Fumihiro Otobe, a 58-year-old transportation worker from Ibaraki Prefecture, was found guilty by the Kochi District Court of infringing on Nintendo’s trademark rights and other related crimes. The court handed Otobe a two-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, along with a fine of 500,000 yen (approximately $3,500).

According to police reports, Otobe had collected second-hand Nintendo Switch units and altered the circuit boards by installing unauthorized hardware. He then pre-loaded the modified consoles with pirated Nintendo games before selling them for 28,000 yen (about $195) each through a flea market app. Authorities say his actions violated Japan’s Trademark Act.

When questioned about his motives, Otobe told investigators that he was “curious to know whether people would think I was great if I sold modified consoles.”

The case underscores Nintendo's increasingly aggressive legal approach to combat piracy and the unauthorized distribution of its intellectual property. The Japanese gaming giant has a history of taking legal action against hackers and modders. In 2022, Gary Bowser—a member of the notorious hacking group Team Xecuter—was sentenced to 40 months in prison in the U.S. for distributing jailbroken Switch devices.

More recently, in 2024, Nintendo filed two lawsuits in a Washington federal court. One targeted Modded Hardware for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by selling mod chips. The other lawsuit was aimed at Archbox, a moderator of the r/SwitchPirates subreddit, whom Nintendo accused of facilitating piracy and running several "pirate shops"—allegations Archbox denied.

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Tags: Nintendo

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