# Nintendo wins $4.5M piracy lawsuit against Reddit mod

> A federal judge ordered James Williams to pay damages and shut down online stores distributing pirated Switch games.
- Title: Nintendo wins $4.5M piracy lawsuit against Reddit mod
- Summary: A federal judge ordered James Williams to pay damages and shut down online stores distributing pirated Switch games. Nintendo successfully sued a Reddit…
- Keywords: nintendo, james williams, reddit, switch piracy, copyright lawsuit, pirate shops, default judgment, digital piracy, gaming, intellectual property, technology, culture
- Source: The Verge — https://theverge.com/games/1000088/nintendo-switch-piracy-reddit-mod-lawsuit
- Author: Emma Roth
- Published: 2026-09-24T15:50:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nintendo, james williams, reddit, switch piracy, copyright lawsuit, pirate shops, default judgment, digital piracy, gaming, intellectual property, technology, culture
## Nintendo wins piracy lawsuit
A Washington federal judge ordered Reddit moderator James Williams to pay Nintendo $4.5 million for distributing pirated Switch games through online stores.
## The mod's alleged pirate operation
Williams, known online as 'archbox', was a leading moderator of r/SwitchPirates who solicited Nintendo eShop gift cards and game copies to distribute through pirate shops.
## Nintendo sued in 2024
Nintendo filed the lawsuit against Williams in 2024, claiming he promoted pirate shops and encouraged others to contribute copied games despite knowing it violated copyright law.
## Default judgment after no response
Williams didn't respond to the lawsuit, leading the court to issue a default judgment in Nintendo's favor last October.
## Damages cover 30 games
The $4.5 million award breaks down to $150,000 per violation across 30 copyrighted games, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Pikmin 4.
## Williams must shut down shops
The judge ordered Williams to immediately disable access to his pirate shops and shut down any social media accounts used to distribute copyrighted Switch games.
## Key takeaway

Nintendo successfully sued a Reddit moderator for operating pirate shops distributing copied Switch games, winning a $4.5 million default judgment.