The Nintendo piracy lawsuit resulted in a heavy fine for a publisher who illegally released the company’s games before their release. Nintendo’s strict stance on copyrights was further demonstrated when publisher EveryGameGuru was ordered to pay $17,500 in damages.

Nintendo piracy lawsuit and the publisher’s stance

The incidents began when Keighin illegally downloaded and streamed the unreleased game Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood. After Nintendo took the matter to court, the publisher adopted a condescending tone. EveryGameGuru posted on social media that he “could do this all day” and had “thousands of fake channels.” He also mocked Nintendo by saying, “I rule the streets.”

As reported by Torrent Freak, EveryGameGuru destroyed evidence throughout the lawsuit and consistently evaded attempts to serve official notice. The publisher mocked the proceedings, claiming he would make Nintendo spend “a ton of money” on legal fees. The court then allowed the publisher’s mother, grandmother, and partner to receive notice via letter.

After EveryGameGuru failed to respond within the stipulated timeframe, the court granted a default judgment, and the case proceeded without him. Ultimately, Nintendo won the case, and Keighin was ordered to pay $17,500 for copyright infringement. This amount was significantly less than the company could have originally claimed. Nintendo could have sought up to $100,000 in total damages for the nine leaked games.

However, the company only requested $10,000 for Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood and an additional $7,500 for circumventing Nintendo’s anti-piracy measures. The court stated, “Given the plaintiff’s blatant release of video games before the average consumer can legally access them, a $10,000 award is perfectly reasonable.”

So, what are your thoughts on Nintendo’s harsh stance against pirate publishers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!