Nintendo details the R4DS piracy case

Nintendo has given TechRadar further details and an updated statement on the recent R4DS piracy case in Japan.

You will remember that Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against five firms in Japan for selling R4DS cards and other similar devices that enable illegally downloaded games to run on DS. The latest statement on the matter from Nintendo reads:

"Nintendo of Europe can confirm that Nintendo Co., Ltd. and 54 software manufacturers which develop and distribute game programs that run on the Nintendo DS (including Nintendo DS Lite) have recently filed a suit with the Tokyo District Court based on the Unfair Competition Prevention Act against five importers and marketers of game copying devices such as the "R4 Revolution for DS", seeking, among other things, suspension of import / sales of such devices."

Problem outlined

The basic problem with R4DS carts is that those selling them are marketing them as 'back up devices' when they are clearly designed for something a little more damaging to Nintendo and its development and publishing partners.

Nintendo's latest statement on the matter continues: "These devices allow playing of copied game programs that are obtained through uploading websites on the Internet and which could not be played on Nintendo DS in a normal situation. Nintendo and software manufacturers are suffering tremendous loss caused by the import and distribution of such devices.

"Nintendo and software manufacturers have determined that the spread of such devices in the market would hinder sound growth and development of the entire computer game industry and will therefore continue to take strict legal measures against any game copying devices that operate like the R4."

Global approach to piracy

Nintendo adds that the company takes "a global approach to piracy" and has "pursued the illegal game copying devices in 11 countries this past year."

Nintendo adds that it has worked with enforcement officials in Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Spain, UK., and the US, "seizing close to 30,000 infringing game copying products, as well as taking actions against those distributors and manufacturers.

"In addition to the actions in Japan, Nintendo will continue to curtail the distribution of the game copiers and battle against global piracy."