James “Archbox” Williams, a prominent Reddit user and moderator, pirated Nintendo Switch games, aided others in jailbreaking their consoles, and bragged about it online. As such, Nintendo formally filed a lawsuit against Williams in July 2024.
Nintendo accused Archbox of overseeing, operating, and actively promoting several digital piracy outlets. Court documents highlighted that he offered access to massive libraries of pirated titles while managing online forums dedicated to helping users bypass console security measures.
A federal court has now ruled in favor of Nintendo, finding Williams liable for the illegal distribution of copyrighted material and ordering him to pay $4.5 million in statutory damages.
Nintendo Secures Victory Against Reddit-Based Switch Pirate
The case against Williams is notably unique due to how Nintendo uncovered his identity. Investigators tracked his online footprint through Reddit as well as official console repair requests he submitted directly to Nintendo customer service. Company records show Nintendo had been monitoring his activities on the “SwitchPirates” subreddit where he distributed pirated software and jailbreaking tools since 2019.
Williams repeatedly ignored initial cease-and-desist warnings from Nintendo as well as the formal legal complaint in 2024. As a result, Nintendo petitioned the United States District Court in October 2025 for an expedited default judgment to hold Archbox accountable.
Nintendo sought $4.5 million in total compensation from the beginning of the lawsuit, a request the court granted in full following the verdict. Presiding Judge Lauren King noted that the defendant was fully aware of the legal proceedings against him but willfully chose not to respond.
During trial proceedings, Nintendo proved that Williams illegally distributed hundreds, if not thousands, of copyrighted Switch titles. The company submitted a specific list of 30 flagship games, requesting $150,000 per title. Evidence presented to the court also revealed that Williams hosted forums with over 190,000 members and regularly solicited eShop gift cards from users, allegedly to purchase additional commercial titles to pirate.
In addition to the multi-million dollar judgment, the court issued a permanent injunction strictly barring Williams from ever distributing Nintendo software again or helping others to do it.
Another Victory for Nintendo Against Switch Piracy
This ruling marks another major victory for Nintendo in its long-standing fight against piracy targeting the Switch. Just last month, Nintendo successfully issued copyright takedown notices to remove over 400 GitHub repositories hosting console emulators.
In early September, Nintendo filed a lawsuit in the District Court of The Hague to halt the sale of the “MIG Switch”, a flashcard device engineered to run illegal copies of games on jailbroken consoles.
That action targeted a prominent European vendor distributing the devices statement, Nintendo reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on piracy, emphasizing that illicit networks cause severe financial damage
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