Nintendo takes its hostility towards Bowsers (if not all Bowsers) one step further. Polygon has learned that Nintendo has sued Gary Bowser, a leader of the Switch hacking group Team Xecuter, for alleged copyright infringement through creating and selling hacks. Law enforcement had arrested Bowser earlier this fall, but the company hoped the lawsuit would punish the leader for both copyright infringement and two human trafficking cases.
Much of the lawsuit focuses on Bowser reportedly running an “international pirate ring” selling the switch-oriented hacking tools SX Core, SX Lite and SX Pro. While some critics have argued that bootlegs are helpful in getting games, Team Xecuter sold the SX suite for a profit – something that hurts its chances.
If successful, Nintendo would cease operations at Bowser, deducting $ 2,500 in damages for each device traded and $ 150,000 per copyright infringement. It’s safe to say that the financial sanctions would incapacitate Team Xecuter even if they stayed in business.
The lawsuit reflects Nintendo’s history of combating hacks and other tools that could enable piracy. It’s not entirely surprising that the company is so aggressive, mind you. Nintendo is even more dependent on software sales than competitors like Microsoft and Sony, as its sales successes are often related to the latest games in franchise companies like Mario or Zelda. As much damage as piracy actually does to Nintendo’s bottom line, lawsuits like this make its stance clear and could discourage pirates.
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