NintendoNintendo has secured a $2 million settlement in its case against a seller of Switch modchips, marking another victory in the company’s crackdown on piracy.
The case centered on Ryan Daly, who operated the website Modded Hardware. Daly was accused of selling devices like the MIG Switch flashcart and MIG Dumper, tools that allowed players to run pirated games or extract files from Nintendo Switch cartridges.
In this case, modchips are hardware devices designed to bypass the Switch’s security systems. Once installed or connected, they allow users to run unauthorized software, including illegal copies of games, as well as dump and share official cartridges.
Nintendo argued that these products caused “significant and irreparable harm” to its business, and it has long maintained that their primary purpose is to facilitate piracy, rendering them illegal under copyright law.
Modchip seller forced to pay Nintendo $2 million
The lawsuit was filed in a Seattle federal court in July 2024 after Daly initially agreed to stop sales but later continued distributing the devices. In his defense, Daly presented 17 claims, including arguments related to fair use and invalid copyrights, but the court did not accept them.
Daly’s site also hosted tutorials and guides explaining how to install and use the devices, which the court noted played a role in enabling piracy. The permanent injunction handed down this month bans Daly from even sharing documentation or information related to console modification.
NintendoNintendo’s filings described the MIG Switch and similar devices as being designed solely to bypass the Switch’s security and “enable widespread video game piracy.” The company argued that continued sales had the potential to undermine the platform’s ecosystem if left unchecked.
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As part of the settlement, Daly has to pay $2 million to Nintendo and is permanently banned from making, promoting, or distributing any modding devices. He’s also required to surrender all modchips, flashcarts, and consoles tied to his operation, with all hardware being destroyed. His Modded Hardware domain must also be transferred to Nintendo.
The resolution follows a broader pattern in Nintendo’s legal strategy. In 2024, the company secured a $2.4 million settlement against Yuzu emulator developer Tropic Haze and successfully pursued piracy hubs such as NSw2u.