A Costly Misstep for Modder Ryan Daly

In a shocking turn of events, Ryan Daly, the proprietor of the now-defunct moddedhardware.com, has been ordered to pay Nintendo a whopping $2 million after representing himself in a legal battle. The saying holds true: sometimes, self-representation can lead to disastrous consequences.

The Court's Verdict: A Clear Win for Nintendo

The recent court judgement, agreed upon by both parties in a Washington state District Court, highlights that Daly sold devices specifically designed to bypass Nintendo's technological protection measures (TPMs). These included products like the MIG Switch and MIG Dumper, which serve little purpose other than hacking.

Daly didn't stop at selling circumvention devices; he also distributed mod chips to circumvent Nintendo's Digital Rights Management (DRM) and illegally copied and sold Nintendo games to his customers. Nintendo's legal team claimed that they initially contacted Daly in March 2024, where he promised both verbally and in writing to halt further sales—a promise he clearly did not keep.

The Unconventional Defense that Backfired

In an attempt to defend himself, Daly raised several unusual arguments in his defense, including the assertion that Nintendo's copyrights were invalid and that they lacked standing to sue him. However, the court reaffirmed Nintendo's ownership of valid copyrights encompassing their games and the Switch operating system.

Severe Consequences Await Daly

Aside from the massive financial penalty, the court ruling prohibits Daly from obtaining, possessing, or using any devices that could circumvent DRM measures, whether for personal use or resale. Furthermore, he is barred from sharing hacking instructions online or engaging in any reverse engineering of Nintendo’s hardware or software. To top it off, control of his moddedhardware.com domain will be handed over to Nintendo.

A Pattern of Significant Legal Setbacks for Modders

This case is reminiscent of past legal victories for Nintendo, including a staggering $4.5 million settlement with Gary "GaryOPA" Bowser, a notable figure in the hacking community. Bowser spent 14 months behind bars and mentioned last year that repaying Nintendo could haunt him for a lifetime.

Daly's situation serves as a stark warning to others in the modding community: when it comes to legal battles, self-representation might not be the best strategy, especially against a titan like Nintendo.