UK Police Arrests Nintendo Switch Modder

• UK Police arrests 43-year-old man for modding Nintendo Switch devices.
• The man wasn’t jailed and let off with a cautionary warning. All his hardware from his apartment were confiscated.
• The police argue that piracy is a crime where both the manufacturing companies as well as the consumers are victims.

Nintendo, one of the most renowned game manufacturing companies in the world is no strangers when it comes to piracy and modding. For years now, Nintendo devices have been modded or hacked to grant illegal access to pirated content. And although Nintendo themselves have been fighting against pirates for some time now, it seems that the UK police is welcome to lend a hand.

This month, the City of London Police’ Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested a 43-year-old man at his residence for the crime of modding Nintendo Switch consoles. However, it is worth mentioning that the man - suspected of being a prominent ‘modder’ - was only cautioned by PIPCU, and wasn’t jailed. The authorities had also seized hard drives, microchips, and other computer equipment from the man’s apartment.

It seems that the UK Police are gearing up to make a stance against piracy. They have stated “piracy is not a victimless crime” and that both the manufacturing company as well as the buyer are at risk. PIPCU argues that modded devices open up a backdoor to introduce many viruses and malware.

Also, in lieu of the holiday seasons, the police have gotten to delivering a public service announcement against piracy. Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt warns, “If you’re looking to buy a Nintendo console as a Christmas gift, make sure you know who you are buying from, otherwise, you could get more than you bargained for, [...] If you buy a gaming console that gives illegal access to pirated content, you could be exposed to malware and identity crime.” He further encourages consumers to “play safe” and “play fair.”

It goes without saying that Nintendo will really appreciate the police’s involvement in their cause. The company has also been very active in this matter as well. Recently the filled a case against Switch modders in the US court which is still pending.

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