The issue of Nintendo tackling piracy and copyright can be a complicated one (look at the recent situation with GilvaSunner on YouTube as an example), but sometimes the situation seems almost designed to make jokes about it. Case in point — the Team Xecutor case involving the sale of hacked consoles has received a sentencing, as principal salesperson Gary Bowser has been sentenced to over three years of prison for having been the public voice of the scheme.
Bowser, a Canadian bearing no relation to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser, was charged with two federal-level felonies. The DOJ prosecution asserted Bowser cost an estimated $65 million in damages to the gaming industry via selling hacks for consoles like the Nintendo Switch, 3DS, NES Classic, and more. Bowser’s role in the team was as administrator for the website that facilitated sales of the hacks to the masses, as well as curating a library of pirated games.
Team Xecutor reportedly involves over a dozen members worldwide, two of which — Max Louarn of France and Yuanning Chen of China — have been charged, though they are currently not in US federal custody. While their surnames aren’t as easy to quip about, this lawsuit looks like it’s a ways away from completion.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
