Nintendo Wins $4.5 Million Default Judgment Against Archbox

A federal court in Washington has entered a $4.5 million default judgment against James Williams, known online as Archbox, in a Nintendo of America copyright case involving pirated Nintendo Switch games. The court also ordered him to disable access to online shops he operates or controls that offered extensive libraries of pirated games. The ruling was issued September 23 by U.S. District Judge Lauren King. Williams did not respond to the lawsuit or appear in court, so the judgment was entered by default rather than after a contested trial. The supplied accounts do not establish whether he has paid the award or complied with the order. Nintendo sued Williams in 2024, alleging that he helped create, operate, support or promote online shops distributing unauthorized copies of Switch games. The company also alleged that he encouraged others to contribute pirated games and assisted in distributing them. In the ruling, King said Nintendo had demonstrated that Williams promoted shops offering pirated game files and circumvention software, and that he assisted in distribution while aware the activity violated copyright law. The $4.