Nintendo has won a $641,000 judgment against Lik-Sang International over the Hong Kong company's selling of devices able to copy Nintendo games and post them on the Internet for unlimited downloading, Reuters reported June 19.
Nintendo calls it one of the most significant antipiracy judgements the Japanese electronic game kings have ever won. They'd sought $20 million in damages on their original complaint over claimed lost revenues for 2001 and 2002. Software piracy in China has run rampant enough that many top companies won't do business there in spite of the Chinese government's encouragements, Reuters said.
The device in question makes an end-run around security features to lift Game Boy softwares and distribute them free online, according to Nintento America antipiracy director Jodi Daugherty. The copied games sell for $5-15, compared to their regular $25-45 prices, Reuters said.
"This was an important case for Nintendo in battling Internet piracy at its source," Daugherty told Reuters. "We're continuing to take aggressive actions in China."
