Nintendo Wins $4.5 Million Judgment Against Defaulting Switch Pirate Moderator

A federal court in Washington has ordered former Reddit moderator James Williams, widely known online as Archbox, to pay Nintendo $4.5 million in statutory damages after he ignored a copyright infringement lawsuit. US District Judge Lauren King issued the default judgment, ruling that Williams willfully operated a network of illicit online pirate shops and distributed decrypted software files for major Nintendo Switch titles over a period spanning several years.

Technical implementations involving hardware security can intersect with console architecture, such as coldboot exploits affecting specific microprocessors.

Statutory frameworks prohibit bypassing technical access controls, prompting heightened scrutiny of repositories and distribution platforms.

The legal proceedings originated in June 2024, when Nintendo of America filed a complaint in the Western District of Washington accusing Williams of heading a coordinated distribution network since at least 2019. According to court records, the operation utilized circumvention devices to bypass console security systems, allowing unauthorized access to high-profile games including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Williams initially failed to respond to the formal complaint after it was filed, though he retained legal counsel specifically to object to a related Google subpoena. While continuing to be active across social media forums, the former moderator opted not to answer the copyright infringement claims in court. This persistent non-responsiveness prompted Nintendo to petition the court in October 2025 for the statutory maximum penalty of $150,000 for each of the 30 infringed titles cited in the action.

Judge King ultimately granted Nintendo's request in full, citing extensive evidence that Williams was fully aware of the litigation. In her written ruling, the judge emphasized that the defendant acted with complete disregard for intellectual property rights, noting that his commercial and community-facing distribution activities warranted the maximum financial penalty allowed under federal copyright law.

Beyond the multi-million-dollar financial penalty, the federal order includes a permanent injunction barring Williams from distributing unauthorized game copies, encouraging piracy, or bypassing console protection mechanisms. The judgment requires the immediate deactivation of any remaining online pirate shops under his control.

Much of the infrastructure has already been dismantled. Prior legal pressure, including a cease-and-desist letter dispatched in March 2024, forced several of the defendant's primary shops offline. Publicly accessible accounts operated by Williams across Discord, Instagram, Reddit, Telegram, TikTok, and X have also been deactivated as enforcement measures took effect.