Summary
Nintendo of America has filed a lawsuit seeking the shutdown of the Switch emulatorYuzu, and damages for its copyright infringement. TheNintendo Switchwas released in 2017 and has cemented itself as one of the biggest consoles in gaming history. With its huge popularity, Switch came into the crosshairs of emulators, which Nintendo has since cracked down on in various ways.
It’s no secret that Nintendo is very protective of its intellectual property, which can be seen in the frequent shutting down of projects such asPokemon,Super Mariofan games, and unofficial ports ofLegend of Zeldagames. The company also has a history of measures such as blocking videos for using copyrighted soundtracks, and even removing scans of old Nintendo game magazines and guides. But Nintendo is also remembered for direct anti-piracy efforts, such asadding Denuvo support to Switch, bringing the controversial anti-emulation technology to the console. This time, Nintendo is taking legal action against popular software and the damage caused to one of its biggest titles.
Stephen Totilo of Game File revealed on his Twitter that Nintendo of America is suing Yuzu, the popular Switch emulator, seeking damages for piracy violations and the shutdown of the emulator. In the screenshots of the lawsuit shared by Totilo, Nintendo claims that Yuzu helps promote piracy by circumventing its software encryption. To support the lawsuit, Nintendo cites thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas pirated over a million times a week and a half before its release.Tears of the Kingdomwas a huge success, but Nintendo says that as well as pirating the game, Yuzu spoiled the game for people.
Nintendo Sues Yuzu and Requests Switch Emulator Shutdown
To further reinforce its claims, Nintendo says that support for Yuzu on Patreon doubled before the release ofZelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The text also adds that the emulator “turns devices into intellectual property infringement tools,” allowing players topurchase Switch games"without paying a dime" to Nintendo or the developers and publishers who produce and release games for the console.
Yuzu is one of the most popular Switch emulators, allowing emulation on Windows, Linux, and Android devices. But despite being well-known software, Nintendo has a significant record of action to protect its IPs, with evenValve receiving a DCMA notice. As a result, it won’t be surprising to see a possible change of plans in the development of Yuzu, or even its complete shutdown.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid portable and home console that aims to be the only gaming system anyone needs. The hybrid controller is an undisputed success because it provides a high degree of portable visual quality and converts easily into a home console.
