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Nintendo won a default judgment against James C. Williams, known online as “archbox,” in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on September 23, 2026. The court awarded Nintendo $4.5 million in statutory copyright damages—$150,000 for each of 30 named games—and issued a permanent injunction targeting unauthorized game distribution and circumvention software.
Because Williams did not answer or defend the lawsuit, this was not a contested trial deciding between competing evidence. The order accepted Nintendo’s showing for default judgment and granted the requested relief.
What Nintendo won
The case, Nintendo of America Inc. v. Williams, concerned allegations that Williams copied and distributed Nintendo Switch games through websites and online communities and supplied or promoted software designed to bypass Nintendo’s security measures.
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|---|---|
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington |
| Decision date | September 23, 2026 |
| Procedural posture | Default judgment after Williams failed to appear or defend |
| Copyright damages | $4.5 million statutory award |
| Calculation | $150,000 for each of 30 named games |
| Additional relief | Permanent injunction against specified distribution and circumvention activities |
The games covered
The order names 30 works. Examples include The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
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Why the award was $4.5 million
Copyright law allows statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement. In this default proceeding, the court applied that maximum to all 30 listed games, producing the $4.5 million total.
The figure is not a proven calculation of Nintendo’s actual lost sales. The order says Nintendo had not specifically quantified lost revenue. Instead, Nintendo submitted evidence that thousands of copies were distributed and discussed an approximate $50-per-game value. The court found that the alleged scale and seriousness of the conduct supported the maximum statutory award in this case.
“Williams’ egregious infringement activities merit substantial punishment here.”
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That sentence appears in Judge Lauren King’s statutory-damages discussion. It describes the court’s assessment for purposes of the default judgment, not a finding reached after a defended trial.
What the permanent injunction prohibits
The injunction reaches Williams and people acting under his direction or control. It bars conduct identified in the order, including:
- Making the identified pirate shops available.
- Distributing or promoting circumvention software or technology covered by the order.
- Distributing unauthorized copies of Nintendo games.
- Encouraging other people to obtain circumvention software or copy Nintendo games.
- Keeping relevant shops and distribution platforms operating; the order requires them to be disabled.
The exact scope comes from the injunction’s listed activities. It is not a blanket command covering every possible modification to a Switch.
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Does this mean all Nintendo Switch mods are illegal?
No. This judgment addressed alleged piracy, unauthorized game-copy distribution and related circumvention activity. It did not create a general rule that every console modification, homebrew project or user-created game modification is unlawful.
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Whether a particular modification is lawful can depend on what it does, which software or hardware it uses, how copyrighted material is obtained, and what someone distributes or encourages others to do. The Williams order should therefore be read narrowly, according to its piracy and circumvention facts.
Why the default judgment matters
Williams did not respond after being served, and the clerk entered default. The court then evaluated Nintendo’s request for default judgment and permanent injunctive relief. There was no defense presentation or contested trial weighing both sides’ evidence.
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- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
That procedural history matters when interpreting the result: the $4.5 million award is binding relief against the defendant in this case, but it is not a tested industry-wide price for piracy damages or a ruling on every modding dispute.
Nintendo’s warnings about circumvention products
Nintendo’s consumer legal guidance says circumvention products can bypass security measures. Nintendo also warns that unauthorized products may damage a console, affect warranty coverage, reduce functionality or cause problems after network updates. Those are Nintendo’s stated warnings and legal position; they are not independent findings that the Williams case proved each effect.
How the U.S. case differs from the Netherlands MIG Switch ruling
A separate September 2026 case in the Netherlands involved an online seller offering MIG Switch Cards and MIG Switch Dumpers. The District Court of The Hague ordered that seller to stop offering and selling those devices, according to Nintendo Life’s September 11, 2026 report.
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| U.S. Williams case | Netherlands MIG Switch case | |
|---|---|---|
| Court and territory | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington | District Court of The Hague, Netherlands |
| Defendant and conduct | James C. Williams; alleged facilitation of unauthorized game-copy distribution and circumvention | An online seller offering MIG Switch Cards and MIG Switch Dumpers |
| Procedure | Default judgment after the defendant failed to defend | Separate Dutch proceeding; not the Williams judgment |
| Remedy reported | $4.5 million in statutory damages plus a permanent injunction | Order to stop offering and selling the devices |
These cases should not be merged. They involve different defendants, courts, countries, conduct and remedies.
What Switch owners should take from the ruling
- Do not treat a court headline as proof that every form of modding is prohibited.
- Recognize that distributing unauthorized game copies and promoting circumvention tools can create serious legal exposure.
- Distinguish statutory damages from measured lost revenue: the $4.5 million was set by the statutory-per-work framework in a default proceeding.
- Read Nintendo’s device warnings as the company’s guidance, not as findings automatically applicable to every modified console.
The Bottom Line
Nintendo’s September 23, 2026 victory was a $4.5 million default judgment against James C. Williams, with a permanent injunction aimed at piracy and circumvention activity. It was not a contested trial and does not establish that every Nintendo Switch modification is illegal.
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