Nintendo Pursues $4.5 Million in Damages From Switch Piracy Operator James

Nintendo is pursuing $4.5 million in damages from James “Archbox” Williams, a figure identified for his role in distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games. The motion, filed on October 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, advances the company’s long-running crackdown on piracy. According to legal filings, Williams was behind several “pirate shop” websites that provided widespread access to unauthorized copies of Nintendo Switch titles.

The lawsuit originated in 2024, when Nintendo first accused Williams of selling and sharing pirated games online. Court records describe him as both the operator of multiple piracy sites and a moderator of the SwitchPirates subreddit, where users located and exchanged information on illegal downloads. Nintendo investigators traced him through his social media presence and console repair records, which led them to his residence in the Phoenix, Arizona area. These platforms functioned as unlicensed marketplaces for stolen content, letting users take a gamble on illegal downloads of popular titles.

After being officially served with the lawsuit, Williams failed to reply or appear in court. His lack of response led the court to issue a default judgment in Nintendo’s favor in November 2024. Despite that ruling, he has not filed any objections or motions to contest it. Nintendo’s new request asks the court to finalize a damages award of $4.5 million, citing Williams’s continued inaction and the significant scale of his copyright violations.

Nintendo’s legal filing states that Williams “engaged in the infringing and unlawful reproduction and distribution of hundreds or thousands of copyrighted Nintendo Switch games,” adding that through his “Pirate Shops,” he “distributed or facilitated the distribution of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of unauthorized copies.” The company said that although Williams retained legal representation, his attorney’s role was limited to observing subpoena activity rather than actively defending the case. With no response from Williams since the initial judgment, Nintendo maintains that monetary compensation is warranted.

The motion will be reviewed on October 24 by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. If approved, it would be one of the company’s largest court victories tied to piracy.

Share: