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Nintendo of America won a $4.5 million statutory-damages judgment and permanent injunction against James C. Williams, known online as “archbox,” on September 23, 2026. The case was decided by default: Williams did not answer Nintendo’s complaint, so the ruling was not the outcome of a contested trial. The complaint concerned online shops and communities allegedly distributing Nintendo Switch game files and circumvention software—not one generic file-sharing service.
What Nintendo alleged
Nintendo filed its complaint against Williams in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on June 28, 2024. The complaint alleged that he operated online shops offering pirated Nintendo Switch games, promoted those shops, and helped users obtain or use circumvention software. These are allegations in Nintendo’s complaint; the court later considered the record supporting Nintendo’s request for a default judgment. Read the complaint filed June 28, 2024.
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Why this was a default judgment, not a trial verdict
Williams did not answer the complaint. Judge Lauren King reviewed Nintendo’s motion and supporting record and granted the requested relief. The case therefore did not include a contested trial resolving competing evidence, and the judgment was not a jury verdict or a negotiated settlement. TorrentFreak’s September 25, 2026 report also describes the default posture.
How the court arrived at $4.5 million
The court awarded $150,000 for each of 30 listed Nintendo games, for a total of $4.5 million in statutory copyright damages. It applied the statutory maximum for willful infringement and concluded that the maximum per work was appropriate on the record before it. The order points to evidence supporting allegations of widespread distribution, knowledge of copyright, and deliberate activity.
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#1 Best Overall
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The court also considered Nintendo’s estimate that the games cost roughly $50 apiece and reasoned that lost revenue could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was part of the court’s explanation for the statutory award, not an independently established accounting of Nintendo’s actual losses. The September 23, 2026 court order sets out the damages calculation.
What the permanent injunction covers
The injunction applies to Williams and people acting under his direction or control. It bars operating the relevant pirate shops, distributing unauthorized Nintendo games or circumvention software, and encouraging others to obtain or use those materials. It also directs Williams to disable shops, social accounts, communications platforms, and other vehicles used for the infringing distribution.
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This is a case-specific order. It is not a general ban on emulation or file-sharing. The full scope and terms appear in the court’s permanent injunction and order.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The judge’s stated rationale
In the September 23, 2026 order, Judge Lauren King wrote: “Williams’ egregious infringement activities merit substantial punishment here.” The statement accompanied the court’s decision to award the statutory maximum for each of the 30 listed works.
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