Following the demise of the popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, several other projects based on it began development, and one of them, Sudachi, was recently updated to support the console's home menu.
Nintendo knows it can't prove emulation is illegal, but its latest tactic is very effective at knocking out sources of Switch piracy
19.03.2024 - 19:42 / gamesradar.com / Dustin Bailey / Nintendo
In the wake of Yuzu's $2.4 million settlement with Nintendo, the Mario maker has redoubled its work to fight Switch emulation, but these efforts don't involve any argument that emulation itself is illegal. Instead, Nintendo is relying on an extremely specific part of a decades-old copyright law to kill a load of software that can be used to pirate Switch games.
Earlier this month, Nintendo issued a pile of takedown notices to GitHub under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, as TorrentFreak reports. Two pieces of software have been the primary targets in the company's crosshairs: Lockpick and SigPatch-Updater. Lockpick is a piece of software that can extract cryptographic keys from Switch games, while SigPatch-Updater allows users to bypass the verification process for digital games. Neither one of them is new, and both have been playing a game of DMCA whack-a-mole with Nintendo for ages.
Both physical and digital Switch games include what Nintendo calls technological protection measures, or TPMs. As Nintendo itself explains in one of those takedown notices, "When a game is started on the Nintendo Switch console a Game TPM is decrypted using cryptographic keys that are protected by Console TPMs. The games themselves can then be decrypted by the decrypted Game TPMs so the game can be played."
The DMCA includes a section that says "no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title." In other words, any attempt to bypass DRM is a violation of copyright law no matter the intent - or at least, that's how Nintendo interprets the law, and that argument has been very effective at getting hosts like GitHub to take down software like Lockpick and SigPatch-Updater.
SigPatch-Updater doesn't even actually bypass any TPMs by itself. Instead, it allows users to download SigPatches provided by external sources to bypass those checks. Nintendo argues in that takedown notice that the dev behind SigPatch-Updater "is attempting to evade Nintendo’s enforcement efforts by providing SigPatches via a link to a third-party website."
This is effectively the same tactic Nintendo used in its lawsuit against Yuzu. Nintendo's argument was not that emulation itself is illegal; rather, the lawsuit was all about how Yuzu broke the DMCA's provisions against bypassing DRM. Technically, we don't actually know if that argument would even hold up in court here, since the Yuzu devs settled before anything actually went to trial.
I'd recommend checking out the story of Bleem if you're curious what might happen if a company did try to argue that emulation was illegal. Bleem was a for-profit PS1 emulator sold in stores back in 1999, well within the PlayStation's
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
thegamer.com
04.04.2024 / 02:27
Nintendo Wants To Know What You Think About Mario RPGs
Super Mario fans have been enjoying a resurgence in RPGs at the moment, with the remake of Super Mario RPG that launched last year and the upcoming release of a Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remaster that's coming next month. It's pretty clear that Nintendo has been diving into Mario's RPG offerings to see what fans still like, and a recent survey has suggested that it may not be done just yet.
gamesradar.com
03.04.2024 / 17:37
Nintendo's latest survey has fans wondering if new Mario RPGs are on the way
A recent Nintendo survey has asked fans how they feel about Mario's RPGs, sparking hope of new games in the future.
gameranx.com
03.04.2024 / 14:33
Nintendo Sends Out Survey Asking Players About Mario RPG and More
With Mario RPG, Princess Peach: Showtime!, and Super Mario Wonder having all released over the spand of the last few months, Princess Peach: Showtime! having been the latest. Nintendo has slowed up a lot of gaming releases over the past year as it seems a new Nintendo Switch console is underway, hopefully coming in 2025. However, it seems Nintendo is seeking players feedback on their games.
gamingbolt.com
30.03.2024 / 11:23
Outward: Definitive Edition is Out Now on Nintendo Switch
Open-world fantasy RPG Outward: Definitive Edition is out now on the Nintendo Switch. The RPG’s release on Nintendo’s platform is being celebrated with a new trailer that you can check out below.
gamerant.com
27.03.2024 / 22:42
Nintendo of America Reportedly Laying Off 120 Contractors
Recent reports have suggested that Nintendo of America underwent significant restructuring, resulting in the layoff of approximately 120 contractors. Apparently, this move is part of an effort to reorganize the testing operations at Nintendo's Washington state headquarters.
gamingbolt.com
22.03.2024 / 15:01
Princess Peach: Showtime! is Out Now on Nintendo Switch
After Super Princess Peach in 2005, Nintendo’s iconic princess takes the center stage once more in Princess Peach: Showtime! It’s available now for Nintendo Switch and features Peach going up against the sorceress Grape and her minions, the Sour Bunch, teaming up with the guardian Stella to save Sparkle Theater. Check out the launch trailer below.
gamesradar.com
22.03.2024 / 13:05
Despite confidence it could avoid Nintendo legal troubles, Switch emulator Suyu struck down from GitLab over alleged DMCA takedown its creator thinks could be a hoax
The Nintendo Switch emulator Suyu, which was released earlier this month as a replacement for the struck-down Yuzu, has been removed from GitLab due to an alleged DMCA takedown. However, it's still not clear who issued this notice.
wccftech.com
20.03.2024 / 14:41
Suyu Nintendo Switch Emulator First Build Is Now Available for Download; Packs UI Improvements, QOL Changes
The first build of the Suyu Nintendo Switch emulator is now available for download, packing multiple improvements over the latest build of the now-defunct Yuzu emulator.
ign.com
19.03.2024 / 18:57
The Anker Prime 27600mAh Power Bank Can Fast Charge Two Steam Decks and a Nintendo Switch Simultaneously
Today, Amazon is offering the powerful and high capacity Anker Prime 27,650mAh USB Power Bank for only $124.99, a hefty 31% price drop from its original $180 MSRP. This is the successor to the Anker 737 that we deemed the best Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally charger. It boasts an absolutely massive 250W of USB power delivery to charge all of your mobile devices simultaneously.
gamingbolt.com
16.03.2024 / 10:57
GYLT is Out Now on Nintendo Switch
Horror title GYLT, formerly exclusively released on Google’s now-defunct Stadia platform, is out now on the Nintendo Switch. While currently available digitally, GYLT is also set to get a physical release sometime in May. In the meantime, check out a trailer celebrating its Nintendo Switch release below.
gamingbolt.com
14.03.2024 / 12:09
Crypt of the NecroDancer: Synchrony DLC is Out Now on PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC
Brace Yourself Games’ acclaimed Crypt of the NecroDancer has received new paid DLC with Synchrony, which exits Steam Early Access after 18 months of development. The DLC is available for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC for $6.99 and adds new content and features. Check out the sleek launch trailer below to see some of them in action.