Few gaming companies guard their intellectual property as tenaciously as Nintendo does. Over the past year, they have been active in taking down YouTube channels that illegally stream their games using emulators, and they’ve even played the role of detective to find and prosecute a suspected pirate who used the Switch console. Recently, during a seminar by Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software, Nintendo’s patent attorney, Koji Nishiura, explained their position on emulation in detail.

According to Denfaminicogamer and Automaton’s translation, Nishiura explained that while emulators themselves might not be unlawful, how they are utilized could potentially breach the law. He elaborated on this by stating that emulators could duplicate protected software or disable encryption protections, actions which Nintendo disapproves of. Furthermore, he added that these devices can be employed to play counterfeit versions of Nintendo’s games, an act that Nintendo still views as illegal.

Nintendo has reproduced numerous of its own games on contemporary platforms, which is well within the company’s legal boundaries. However, it’s important to note that many classic games initially released on systems like NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and GameCube are not officially available for legal play from Nintendo directly. Certain emulator websites contend that by archiving these games, they are safeguarding a vital segment of video game history.

It’s not shocking that Nintendo takes a different stance on this matter. While they are relentless in their efforts to shut down Switch and 3DS emulators, they have also blocked the launch of the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator on Steam. Moreover, they took legal action against creators of a Switch emulator, claiming that The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom was pirated over a million times before its release. Despite rumors of the upcoming Switch 2, Nintendo appears unlikely to cease pursuing emulator creators any time soon.

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2025-01-15 19:38