Nintendo of America has filed a lawsuit against the popular Nintendo Switch emulator, Yuzu, seeking damages and a total shutdown of the software. Nintendo argues that Yuzu allows users to play pirated Switch games on Windows, Linux or Android systems, using The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as an example of a game that was apparently downloaded over a million times before its official release.
As spotted by Game File’s Stephen Totilo, Nintendo says that the “defendant and its agents are fully aware of the use of Yuzu by others in performing circumvention, and in facilitating piracy at a colossal scale.” While users are able to port their iso files over to Yuzu from a legally purchased cartridge, Nintendo says that most use it for pirated Switch games that are downloaded illegally. Users aren’t able to directly download games from Yuzu per se, but Nintendo argues that the software facilitates piracy regardless.
Nintendo writes in its lawsuit:
“With Yuzu in hand, nothing stops a user from obtaining and playing unlawful copies of virtually any game made for the Nintendo Switch, all without paying a dime to Nintendo or to any of the hundreds of other game developers and publishers making and selling games for the Nintendo Switch. In effect, Yuzu turns general computing devices into tools for massive intellectual property infringement of Nintendo and others’ copyrighted works.”
Nintendo says that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was downloaded over one million times a week and a half before its release. Despite this, the game still managed to sell over 20 million copies in 2023, making it the second best-selling game of last year behind Hogwarts Legacy.
NEW: Nintendo is suing the creators of popular Switch emulator Yuzu, saying their tech illegally circumvents Nintendo’s software encryption and facilitates piracy.
Seeks damages for alleged violations and a shutdown of the emulator. pic.twitter.com/SGZVI6Cs0x— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) February 27, 2024
Nintendo is no stranger to dishing out lawsuits. Just this year, The Pokemon Company released a statement indirectly referencing Palworld, stating “we have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game.” The company says it intends to “investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.” Nothing has come of that yet.
Source: Stephen Totilo
