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Nintendo still pissed about piracy, asks US Trade Representative for help photo

Nintendo is so pissed about piracy that they're calling out countries by name now. I guess they're not making enough money on the DS and Wii already. They blame game copiers and mod chips for the piracy in these countries, and warn parents that "if users of circumvention devices are children, they may be exposed to unsuitable content downloaded from the Internet and played on their Nintendo systems.”

In Nintendo's comments to the U.S. Trade Representative under the “Special 301” process (whatever the hell that is), they call out China, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Paraguay as countries that deny "adequate and effective protection of video game products." They call China the "hub," and say that law enforcement in Brazil is "weak." Mexico? "Wholly inadequate." You can read all of their complaints after the jump.

I get that they're tired of the piracy. But I think it's ironic that their "About Nintendo" paragraph at the end of the press release brags that "Nintendo has sold more than 2.8 billion video games and more than 485 million hardware units globally." 

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: China continues to be the hub of production for counterfeit Nintendo video game products. The number of online shopping sites in China selling infringing Nintendo products is increasing, and help is needed by the government to curtail the growth of these illegal marketplaces. These products are sold both inside China and to the world, including our key market in the United States. Chinese customs officials must stop shipments of game copiers and other infringing products out of China, and China should work in the coming year to eliminate barriers to its enforcement laws.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA: Internet piracy in Korea continues to increase, as does the availability of devices that get around product security and allow for the play of illegal Nintendo software. A massive customs raid of 10 premises that resulted in the seizure of more than 75,000 game copiers at the beginning of 2009 is a positive sign the government is serious about enforcement. Nintendo is pleased with Korea’s consistent customs seizures, and courts are now starting to hold distributors of circumvention devices, such as game copiers, accountable. The Korea-U.S. free trade agreement is important to all intellectual property rights holders.

BRAZIL: Federal anti-piracy actions are not reducing piracy in Brazil, and local enforcement efforts are weak. Efforts to prosecute for piracy are virtually nonexistent. Customs and border control agents failed to seize a single shipment of Nintendo video game products in Brazil in 2008. Internet piracy is increasing with no legal infrastructure in place to respond to the threat it poses to rights holders. High tariffs and taxes also constitute market barriers for legitimate video game products.

MEXICO: Anti-piracy actions by the Mexican government in 2008 were wholly inadequate. The Mexican government must recognize the seriousness of the piracy problem and start using existing enforcement tools. Mexico’s participation in negotiating the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is encouraging, but enforcement efforts need to move forward now. The willingness of Mexican customs and Mexican postal service workers to be trained by trademark owners was a positive sign in 2008.

SPAIN: The availability of game-copying devices in Spain is alarming. Internet sites offering game-copying devices and illegal Nintendo software are widespread and must be addressed. Nintendo asks that the Spanish government implement laws protecting the creative copyright industry and enact laws against Internet piracy. Nintendo considers education a priority in its fight against piracy in the European Union. Customs authorities play an important role in enforcing intellectual property rights, and Nintendo is seeing positive signs in this area. Nintendo is pleased about recent steps taken by the Spanish National Police against distributors of game copiers.

PARAGUAY: Corruption continues to hamper anti-piracy efforts. Nintendo’s anti-piracy actions in Paraguay show that illegal goods are imported and also locally produced. Border controls are key to decreasing piracy, and the revised criminal code will increase penalties against those distributing circumvention devices in Paraguay.


Continue: More Piracy stories





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27 comments | showing # 1 to 27
Dale North's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:07
Dale North
PapaDukes - exactly
ErigBurger's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:14
ErigBurger
PUPPY!! :D
necrozen's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:14
necrozen
Hey, why is there a picture of my dog, Game Piracy, on here.Oh wait....

...we named him Game Piracy because he was constantly shitting in the same place he eats, ruining the food for the rest of the dogs...
Mr Gilder's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:15
Mr Gilder
This article is now about Corgi Pups. Proceed.
Corican's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:18
Corican
Give them a break guys, they're only a small, poor company just trying to stay afloat in this troublesome economic times!
fetusmilk's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:20
fetusmilk
are people pirating wii games? or is nintendo just complaining about there stupid DS games being copied.
MowDownJoe's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:20
MowDownJoe
AWWWW! SO CUTE!

...What was this article about? I was wishing I had that dog.
Tron's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:24
Tron
Huh. Corgi pup is on the first page of image search results.
zzyzx's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:30
zzyzx
Bah. Business is business, whether you're a small company or a large one.

As a gamer, I might have some quibbles with Nintendo. If I were a shareholder, I think I'd be giving them the benefit of the doubt right about now.
crackity jones's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:31
crackity jones
I <3 Corgis! I have one named Smokey and hes really cool but kind of loud. Who else has teh corgis?
Diverse's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 09:44
Diverse
"if users of circumvention devices are children, they may be exposed to unsuitable content downloaded from the Internet and played on their Nintendo systems.”

Yeah, right. I highly doubt Nintendo gives a shit about the children. They just want more gold bars in their money vault.

LONG LIVE THE CYCLODS.
Demtor's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 10:11
Demtor
lol, thats pretty ballsy to call out each country one by one. An 'airing of grievances' of epic proportions?


"A got a lot of problems with you people!"
LukienAkeela's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 10:22
LukienAkeela
Yes, I'm sure this will fly to the top of the list on China's and Korea's "sh!t to get done."
Dale North's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 10:25
Dale North
My corgi has almost the same markings. He's way the fuck fatter, though.
CocoJambo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 10:51
CocoJambo
Wow, every motherf*cker here is a small time Robin Hood. Keep on stillin' from the big corporate evil!
SpiralGray's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 10:52
SpiralGray
Maybe if they're that p.o.'ed at those companies they should stop shipping all their jobs to them. That might teach them a lesson.
EternalPersona's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 11:34
EternalPersona
D'aaww! Look at the little puppy! Don't you want to rub his cute little belly and play with him?


Wait, what were we talking about again?
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 11:43
Naim Master
Hey Nintendo , I live in Brazil , and you know what ? My Wii is modded and the Wii from the police officer son is also modded ...
seamonkey420's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 12:07
seamonkey420
would the big N like some cheese with that?
Spectreman's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 12:34
Spectreman
* Maybe the people really donīt like pay 3x the original price or wait months for games already release in usa.
Mirax's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 13:34
Mirax
I'm also from Brazil, and although my Wii is not modded (since I buy my games online for a good price), games are so expensive here that I can see why there is so much piracy. I don't think this is Nintendo's fault, but oh well.
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 14:05
whormongr
unsuitable like what- homebrew?
ChronosWing's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 18:19
ChronosWing
@fetusmilk

Yes, actually pirating wii games is super simple and doesn't even require a mod chip just the homebrew channel, some blank dvd-r's and a certain homebrew program I'm not mentioning here in fear of getting the ban hammer.
CocoJambo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/25/2009 19:07
CocoJambo
@chronoswing

I think you should get some kind suspension or even ban for even bringing that up. You just couldn't hold your 1337 knowledge in, right?
Analitic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/26/2009 02:12
Analitic
I see, so people in china/brazil should be paying the same amount of money 40$ on average or even more for wii games even though they earn a lot less. Agreed business is business, but i dont see the burger king whoppers being sold for the same price as the US in those countries, if so then good luck having a market there in the first place.
Nintendo, get your regional pricing right first, make it affordable FOR CHILDREN and adults and then lets talk.

The social democrat
ChronosWing's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/26/2009 03:05
ChronosWing
@Coco

Yes my "1337" knowledge of information that's been common knowledge for over a year now. Get over yourself please.
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