Nintendo strikes back at game piracy

DS News | R4 cards seized and pirates given the short plank.

Nintendo has confirmed via press release that they have taken further action against 'game copiers' (R4 cards) and other counterfeit Nintendo products. Earlier this year, after filing proceedings against importer GadgetGear, the importer acknowledged in February that the devices infringed both Nintendo's copyrights and trademarks, and agreed to permanently refrain from importing and selling the products.

Now, Nintendo has announced that the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service have seized these products from an importer attempting to distribute them in Australia. This is the first Australian seizure of this type of 'game copier'.

Nintendo re-affirms that video game piracy is a serious problem in Australia, and that these devices breach the 'circumvention device' provisions of the Copyright Act.

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15 Comments

grim-one

1 year ago

Aren't the DSi games are region locked unlike standard DS games? Could the "R4i" and its ilk fall under the banner of region-defeating devices that are permitted legally? Not that I'd want to try testing that in court.

Fly

1 year ago

Does Nintendo confirm that pricing is a big problem in Australia as well? Course not, that'd be stupid.

Non issue, DS is region free as it is and by and large vastly cheaper to import titles than to buy locally, banning R4 cards or other such "homebrew" tech isn't going to impact the market one iota and merely add yet another blacklist for customs officers.

Diagonis

1 year ago

I wanna know who the company is

mikezilla2

1 year ago

grim-one wrote

yes but just recntliy nin won a case that made them illegal down-under.

MrAndyPuppy

1 year ago

*sigh* This truly sucks for parents.

I know a lot of people who use R4 and copy the games they own on to it for their young kids. That way, they go to school or a friend's place and don't have loose cartridges lying around that can be lost.

(and yeah, I know the number of people I know is more than the average, but that's because I've introduced a bunch of them to the concept after one friend's daughter lost 20 game cartridges on the school bus)

I know it opens the way for real piracy, but it's a shame that people like this who don't truly understand technology but do understand the pain of losing stuff they paid money for, miss out.

jesuslol

1 year ago

Yes, your friends are the odd ones out. The fact is that they are downloading illegal roms from websites to put onto the R4. Even if they own the games, eventually they are going to decide to just download this other one they saw on the web and when they do, they normally won't buy anymore games again.

Fly

1 year ago

jesuslol wrote

Because everyone's a criminal they just don't know it yet.

Right?

grim-one

1 year ago

That's what the piracy ads would have you believe!

"Would you steal a baby?"

Hyper the Metroid

1 year ago

"You wouldn't shoot a policeman! And then steal his helmet! And then go to the toilet in his helmet! And then give the hat to the policeman's grieving widow! And then STEAL IT AGAIN!"

the_spensa

1 year ago

Hyper the Metroid wrote

"You wouldn't shoot a policeman! And then steal his helmet! And then go to the toilet in his helmet! And then give the hat to the policeman's grieving widow! And then STEAL IT AGAIN!"

Sir, I plus you for that awesome and funny quote from one of the best British shows ever made.

Jarrod

1 year ago

I <3 my R4. It supports my 'try before you buy' policy and allows me to take all my purchased games with me in one handy device. Wee!

Dovey

1 year ago

Fair enough that there are some people who do use this device legally, its just that they are probably a very small minority to those who don't. I like Nintendo direct attack on piracy rather than trying to put copious amounts of protection and drm much like other platforms, Ninty are just going after the sources and by the sounds of it are winning! Maybe other publishers should take note!

Moistflaps

1 year ago

I really don't see a problem with this move. However i'd like to see games made more affordable for people so these kind of avenues aren't so tempting.

Jellyfish

1 year ago

grim-one wrote

That's what the piracy ads would have you believe!

"Would you steal a baby?"

It's been done before... Hell, some 14 year old boy stole a baby as a prank.