Nintendo wins (again): R4 modchips banned in the UK

A British High Court has ruled in the case between Playables Limited and Wai Dat Chan, sellers of R4 emulator cards (a type of memory card). The High Court concluded that it is illegal to import, advertise or sell R4 memory cards in the United Kingdom.

R4 Memory cards are also known as ‘modchips’. Without a modchip a Nintendo DS console only accespts official Nintendo DS games, of games that Nintendo has approved of. The modchips enable other games, like homebrew or pirated games to be played as well. The British Hight Court concluded that that modchips are illegal, because they circumvent Nintendo’s technical protection measures.

"Nintendo promotes and fosters the development of games and creativity and support the game developers who lawfully new and innovative applications to create," said Nintendo in a written statement. "Nintendo initiates these actions not only on its own behalf but on behalf of more Over 1,400 video game development companies for their continued existence dependent on sales of legitimate games. "

This is the second lawsuit that Nintendo wins in her fight against modchips. Earlier this month the court in The Hague ruled that a number of Dutch webshop acted illegally by selling modchips that circumvent Nintendo's technical protection measures. Whether the webshops appeal the verdict is unknown. Earlier Nintendo won in a legal procedure on modchips in Australia and Korea, but lost in Paris and Spain. In Japan, Nintendo has also been launching a lawsuit against the R4 devices. Currently, there is a court injunction against the R4 devices, but they continue to be sold.

Bron: Kotaku