Nintendo Sues Reddit Mod for $4.5M Piracy

Nintendo of America is pursuing a $4.5 million default judgment against a Reddit moderator who allegedly operated a vast piracy network for Nintendo Switch games. In a motion filed in early October 2025 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the gaming giant detailed its case against James C. Williams, known online as "Archbox". The lawsuit, which began in 2024, accuses Williams of being a central figure in the illegal distribution of thousands of pirated Switch games, causing significant harm to Nintendo's intellectual property rights.

The company contends that Williams facilitated a network of unauthorized online "shops" that offered extensive libraries of pirated games to the public for download.

The legal filings allege that Williams was a leading, if not primary, moderator for the "SwitchPirates" subreddit, a community that grew to over 190,000 members. According to Nintendo, Williams used this platform to promote his piracy websites and solicit "donations" in the form of Nintendo eShop gift cards. These gift cards were then allegedly used to purchase legitimate copies of games, which were subsequently copied and distributed illegally through his network.

The complaint details how Williams allegedly ran multiple "Pirate Shops," including sites known as "JITS" and "Turtle in the Shop," which served tens of thousands of users. Nintendo's action against Williams began after he allegedly refused to comply with a cease-and-desist order sent in March 2024 and subsequently failed to respond to the lawsuit filed against him.

The $4.5 million figure represents statutory damages for the infringement of 30 key first-party Nintendo titles, with the company seeking $150,000 for each infringed work. In its court filing, Nintendo stated that this amount "is nowhere near" what would be required to fully compensate for the seriousness of the conduct but is being sought to establish accountability. The company has chosen not to seek additional millions in damages for trafficking in circumvention devices, despite alleging Williams distributed software designed to bypass the Switch's security.

Because Williams failed to appear in court or formally defend himself against the claims, Nintendo has asked the judge for a default judgment, a ruling made without a trial due to the defendant's lack of response. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for October 24, 2025.

• Legal Basis and Statutory Damages: The $4.5 million demand is rooted in U.S. copyright law, which allows for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per willfully infringed work. Nintendo focused its claim on 30 specific first-party games allegedly distributed by Williams, calculating the total based on this maximum amount.
• The company's legal team argued this is a conservative figure, as the infringement likely involved a far greater number of titles. It deliberately did not seek further damages for other violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
• The Accused's Alleged Role: James "Archbox" Williams is accused of being more than a casual participant. Nintendo's complaint positions him as the owner, manager, and primary representative of several piracy operations.
• As a top moderator of the 190,000-member SwitchPirates subreddit, he allegedly posted thousands of messages, including requests for eShop gift cards to acquire more games to pirate. His operations, like "JITS" on Discord, reportedly had over 58,000 members.
• Timeline of the Case: The legal action is the culmination of years of alleged activity. Nintendo claims Williams's network operated from at least 2019.
• The direct conflict began with a cease-and-desist letter in March 2024. After Williams allegedly became uncooperative, Nintendo filed the lawsuit in June 2024 and officially served him in August 2024. A court clerk entered a default against Williams on November 8, 2024, after he failed to respond, paving the way for Nintendo's October 2025 motion for damages.
• Nintendo's Investigative Work: Court documents reveal how Nintendo's investigators identified Williams as the person behind the "Archbox" alias. The process reportedly involved linking personal details he shared online with his online persona.
• A key piece of evidence was a Nintendo Switch console that Williams allegedly sent to Nintendo for repairs, which helped confirm his identity. This demonstrates the company's sophisticated and determined approach to unmasking individuals involved in large-scale piracy.
• Context of Nintendo's War on Piracy: This lawsuit is consistent with Nintendo's long and aggressive history of protecting its intellectual property. The company has previously sued ROM site operators for millions.
• For example, the $12.23 million settlement with the owners of LoveROMs and LoveRETRO and the $2.1 million judgment against the operator of RomUniverse. More recently, Nintendo's legal actions led to the shutdown of the Switch emulator Yuzu in 2024 and resulted in a multi-million dollar penalty and prison time for Gary Bowser, a member of the hacking group Team Xecuter.
• Implications for Online Moderators: The case sends a chilling message to moderators of online communities, particularly those on platforms like Reddit and Discord that focus on legally ambiguous topics. It underscores that moderating a community involved in copyright infringement is not a passive role and can attract severe personal legal and financial liability.
• This lawsuit may set a precedent that holds key community leaders responsible for the illegal activities they facilitate or promote.
• The Technology of Piracy: The lawsuit specifically mentions the tools Williams allegedly distributed to enable piracy. These include the "Tinfoil" application, a popular tool used to install pirated games on a modified Switch, and "Signature Patches," which are software modifications that bypass the console's digital signature checks.
• By targeting the distribution of these circumvention devices, Nintendo attacks the technical foundation that makes mass piracy on its hardware possible.
• The Nature of a Default Judgment: A default judgment occurs when a defendant in a legal case fails to respond to a court summons or does not appear in court. In such instances, the court may rule in the plaintiff's favor without hearing the defendant's side of the story, assuming the plaintiff's allegations are true.
• Williams's failure to engage in the legal process allowed Nintendo to directly petition the court for damages without the need for a protracted trial.