Nintendo tracked down an alleged pirate using Reddit posts and past console repairs

by Danny Craig  · 
Nintendo tracked down an alleged pirate using Reddit posts and past console repairs
Nintendo

Nintendo reportedly located an alleged pirate by analyzing their Reddit post history and past repair requests to the company.

The details:

  • As reported by Game File, Nintendo has revealed in recent court filings how it tracked down James "Archbox" Williams, an alleged pirate who the company sued earlier this year. According to the company, it linked two accounts to Williams in February of this year after hiring law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp to investigate "freeshops," or online stores that offer pirated games.

  • The filing claims that Williams made references to the Midwestern University's Eye Institute in 2015, and other Reddit posts also suggested he lived in Arizona. Furthermore, Nintendo was easily able to identify his address, which was in Arizona, as the accused pirate allegedly contacted the company about console repairs through an email connected to the accounts and provided a shipping address directly.

  • Williams was named as one of two suspected pirates who Nintendo was pursuing legally earlier this year, claiming that as a moderator on the forum r/SwitchPirates, he encouraged and participated in the piracy of Switch games. The suit also claimed that Williams was running "several Pirate Shops" distributing pirated titles despite cease-and-desist orders sent by Nintendo and that he boasted about not paying for Switch games.

  • Despite agreeing to cooperate, Williams reportedly failed to appear in court, prompting the judge to side with Nintendo. It is unclear how much Williams has been ordered to pay in damages, but Nintendo has typically demanded significant compensation from its legal opponents, including millions in a new lawsuit against another pirate.

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