Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns

Nintendo has sent a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notice for 8,000+ GitHub repositories hosting code for the Yuzu Switch emulator, which the Zelda maker has previously described as enabling “hacking on a colossal scale.” The sweeping takedown comes two months after Yuzu’s creators quickly settled a lawsuit with Nintendo and its notoriously reactive legal team for $2.4 million.

GamesIndustry.biz First of all reported on DMCA notice, affecting 8,535 GitHub repositories. The redacted entities representing Nintendo claim that the Yuzu source code contained in the repositories “illegally circumvents Nintendo’s technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Switch games.”

GitHub wrote in the notice that developers will have time to edit their content before it is disabled. In keeping with its developer-friendly approach and branding, the Microsoft-owned platform also offered legal resources and guidance on submitting DMCA counter-notices.

Nintendo’s legal blitz, perhaps not coincidentally, comes as game emulators are experiencing a resurgence. Last month, Apple loosened its restrictions on retro game players in the App Store (likely in response to regulatory threats), leading to the Delta emulator establishing itself as the de facto choice and reaching the first place in the App Store. Nintendo may have calculated that emulators’ prime timing threatened its bottom line and began by crushing those that most immediately jeopardized its revenue stream.

Unfortunately, Nintendo’s legal attack on the largely defenseless emulators ignores a game-preservation-emulation/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:crucial use;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:10;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>crucial use for them, it’s not about piracy. Gaming historians view software as an essential part of preserving games. Without emulators, Nintendo and other copyright holders could make some of the story obsolete for future generations because their corresponding hardware will end up being harder to obtain.