Switch modder who acted as his own lawyer now owes Nintendo $2 million

In a cautionary tale for tech enthusiasts, Ryan Daly, known for his work with modded hardware, has found himself on the wrong end of a hefty legal judgment. The former operator of moddedhardware.com now owes Nintendo a staggering $2 million following a settlement reached in a Washington state District Court. The court's ruling, which both parties agreed upon, reveals that Daly knowingly sold devices like the MIG Switch and MIG Dumper. These products were primarily engineered to bypass Nintendo’s technological protections, lacking any significant commercial use apart from circumventing these measures. Additionally, the judgment highlighted that Daly sold and installed mod chips designed to bypass the Nintendo Switch's digital rights management (DRM) systems and even engaged in the copying and distribution of copyrighted Nintendo games to his clients. Nintendo's legal action against Daly commenced after initial communications in March 2024, where he reportedly consented, both verbally and in writing, to cease the sale of such devices. However, after he continued his activities, Nintendo escalated the situation by filing a lawsuit in June of last year, leading to this costly outcome for Daly.