Dear Reader:
UK - Nintendo gets eBay, Amazon to squash sales of R4 and R4-like devices
“Nintendo is pleased with the co-operation it has received from both eBay and Amazon to prevent the sales of game copying devices. Nintendo has been aggressive in curtailing the sales of these devices on a global scale, from manufacturers in Asia to internet webshops and retail operations across Europe and the UK. Since January 2008, Nintendo has coordinated over 560 actions and confiscated approximately 411,000 game copiers. In the UK, Nintendo collaborates with ELSPA and takes independent actions. Over 225,000 devices have been seized by authorities in 170 actions since 2008.” - Nintendo of America’s global head of anti-piracy Jodie Daughtery
“eBay prohibits sellers from listing any hardware or software that allows people to make unauthorised copies of copyrighted games, including the R4 DS cards, and we are taking steps to remove the few listings found on the site.” - eBay spokesperson
“As you know, Marketplace items are sold by third parties. We have a ‘notice and take down’ process at Amazon. So where a third party believes that their IP has been infringed, they can highlight it and we can take it down. This is what happened in the case of the R4.” - Amazon UK’s games director Chris Poad
This is a pretty huge victory for Nintendo. They’re definitely throwing their weight around, and have seated themselves in the driver’s position when it comes to doing away with game piracy. They have an incredibly long way to go, but their first steps have been big ones.