A federal judge has ordered James Williams, known online as archbox, to pay Nintendo of America $4.5 million over allegations that he ran online shops selling pirated Switch games. The ruling resolves a copyright lawsuit Nintendo filed against Williams in 2024. Nintendo had asked the court for the default judgment last October after Williams failed to respond to the case.
Nintendo accused Williams of becoming a leading moderator of the r/SwitchPirates community, according to the complaint. The company claimed he solicited donations of Nintendo eShop gift cards and copies of Switch games so those games could be copied and distributed through pirate stores. Judge Lauren King wrote in the order that Nintendo of America showed Williams promoted the shops, urged others to contribute pirated games, and helped distribute pirated Switch games while knowing the activity violated copyright law.
The $4.5 million figure represents $150,000 for each of 30 copyrighted games, a group that includes Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Pikmin 4. Beyond the payment, Williams must immediately cut off access to the alleged pirate shops. He is also required to shut down any social media accounts he used to distribute copyrighted Switch games.
The order adds to a run of copyright litigation by Nintendo in recent years. The company most recently won a case in the Netherlands, where a court found it illegal to sell Mig flash cartridges, which let users play pirated copies of games. The Williams matter was handled in the United States, where Nintendo of America pursued the claims.
The case reflects continued pressure by game publishers on the distribution of pirated console software and the tools that enable it. The judgment against Williams covers both the storefronts Nintendo linked to him and the accounts the court said were used to spread the games. No response from Williams is referenced in the ruling, which followed his failure to answer the suit.
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