Switch emulator makers agree to pay $2.4 million to settle lawsuit
The Yuzu emulator developers have reached a settlement with Nintendo after a lawsuit was filed against them. As part of the agreement, the developers will pay $2.4 million in monetary relief and cease offering, selling, or promoting the emulator.
Support for both Yuzu and the similar 3DS emulator Citra has been discontinued as a result of the settlement. The Yuzu team claims they never intended to promote piracy, but the settlement acknowledges that the emulator was primarily designed to circumvent Nintendo’s copy protection.
In addition to ceasing operations of the emulator, the Yuzu Patreon, which brings in approximately $30,000 a month, will also be shut down. The developers are facing allegations of aiding potential Switch pirates by creating and distributing the emulator.
Interestingly, another Switch emulator called Ryujinx has not faced legal action from Nintendo. Emulator makers believe that legal action against emulators is less likely for defunct systems.
Nintendo has a history of defending its copyrighted works from fangames, ROM distribution sites, and hardware modders. The settlement with the Yuzu emulator developers is just the latest in a series of actions taken by Nintendo to protect its intellectual property.
