Canadian Nintendo-modder, hacking tool creator and the reported leader of ‘Team Xecuter,’ Gary Bowser, has agreed to pay $10 million UDS (roughly $12.6 million CAD) to Nintendo to settle a recent lawsuit related to piracy charges, as first reported by EuroGamer.
Bowser and other members of Xecuter were arrested and charged with 11 felony counts in October 2020. Nintendo called the operation an “international pirate ring” and the lawsuit alleges that Bowser infringed on the company’s copyright by making and selling the console hacks.
NEW: Gary Bowser agrees to pay Nintendo $10 million in video game piracy civil lawsuit. This follows Bowser's guilty plea in October in the federal criminal case against him (where he agreed pay Nintendo $4.5 million in restitution.) https://t.co/zohn0SPHnH pic.twitter.com/KMJro3l8Zw
— Rob Romano (@2Aupdates) December 6, 2021
The most well-known product of Team Xecuter is the SX Pro, a USB device that allows users to bypass Nintendo Switch security measures and run pirated games. The lawsuit also says Bowser has been creating and selling hacking tools for Nintendo devices since 2013, when he created a device to hack the Nintendo 3DS.
It’s worth noting that Bowser’s Xecuter was a for-profit company. This made it unpopular in the modding and emulation communities, which typically prioritize open-source efforts and avoid selling products.
Nintendo has a history of actively hunting down illegal usage of its intellectual property, and it has targeted ROM sites that provide game downloads regularly. For example, Nintendo was recently awarded $2.1 million USD (roughly $2.5 million CAD) in damages after winning a lawsuit against RomUniverse, a pirated game and hack seller.
Via: EuroGamer
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