Nintendo ROM Site Ordered To Destroy All Games After Lawsuit

Japanese video game company Nintendo recently requested a permanent injunction against Matthew Storman, owner of the now-defunct Nintendo pirating website RomUniverse, which orders him to destroy the site’s games by Aug. 17. The injunction follows after Nintendo successfully sued Storman for massive online copyright infringement this past May. This is far from the first instance of harsh legal action Nintendo has taken to preserve and protect its intellectual property.

The lawsuit against RomUniverse and Storman, who defended himself in trial, began in September 2019. Several months later, Nintendo was ultimately awarded $2.1 million in damages. When it was up and running, RomUniverse sold and hosted pirated copies of Nintendo titles – but it also charged users for access to unlimited file downloads and uncap accounts. As a result, Nintendo originally sought $15 million in lost sales by applying $90,000 for each of the 49 games found on the site. However, the smaller sum might be attributed to Storman never actually uploading any of the ROMs himself and just hosting the pirated titles on his website.

Kotaku recently reported that May’s verdict ordered Storman to pay the $2.1 million in $50 monthly payments, but Nintendo was motivated to return to court in July after he failed to meet such requirements. As a result, the court granted the game company’s request for a permanent injunction against Storman, which was filed due to concerns he might try to bring RomUniverse back. The court is now ordering Storman to also “permanently destroy all unauthorized Nintendo games or other unauthorized copies of Nintendo’s intellectual property including movies, books, and music” by Aug. 17. While this in itself is a strict punishment to impose, it’s not the only condition of the new injunction.

Additionally, Storman will be unable to use any of (or any imitation of) Nintendo’s trademarks “in any manner in connection with the manufacture, printing, distribution, advertising, offering for sale or sale of any goods or services.” This includes using anything that could cause confusion or “public misunderstanding” that a product or good is provided by (or authorized by) Nintendo. Storman will also need to file a declaration with the court no later than Aug. 20, verifying that he has complied with all of the judge’s orders – or he will face perjury charges.

Nintendo is no stranger to lawsuits intending to crack down on hackers and piracy, especially against ROM websites like RomUniverse. It’s also likely that Storman is only the game company’s latest obstacle of the sort – rather than its last. However, with a $2.1 million price to pay, those looking to capitalize off of Nintendo products might want to think twice; the company has a fierce legal reputation, and it shows no sign of relenting on that front anytime soon.

Source: Kotaku

About The Author