In a new enforcement action, GitHub, owned by Microsoft, has recently deleted over 8,500 repositories linked to the Nintendo Switch emulator, Yuzu. This decisive move came after Nintendo claimed these repositories violated the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), specifically concerning illegal copies and derivatives of the emulator.
While there are copies left-even a small trace of them-the Big N is persistent in eliminating every living proof that a Switch emulator exists.
Nintendo vs Yuzu Emulator
Nintendo's legal action targeted the Yuzu emulator, alleging that it bypasses the company's technological safeguards and facilitates the unauthorized use of Nintendo Switch games.
According to the Japanese gaming giant, this not only infringes on their copyrights but also breaches Section 1201 of the DMCA. This section of the law prohibits any technology designed primarily to circumvent protective measures that control access to copyrighted works.
GitHub responded to the takedown notice by removing the entire network of repositories associated with Yuzu, including the parent repository.
As PCMag reports, the platform's administrators attached a note to a redacted version of Nintendo's DMCA takedown request, explaining the breadth of the action encompassing all related forks of the emulator.
GitHub Notified Emulator Creators About the Crackdown
Post-takedown, GitHub informed the affected creators about the potential legal steps they could take, including how to alter their projects to comply with legal standards and how to file a DMCA takedown appeal.
The software firm also provided them with access to legal resources to navigate the complexities of copyright laws.
Nintendo is Persistent to Eliminate Every Switch Emulator Left
This is not the first time Nintendo has taken legal action against emulator projects.
Earlier this year, Nintendo achieved a legal victory against the Yuzu emulator's developers, who agreed to a settlement of $2.4 million and the removal of their repositories from GitHub. The developers of Yuzu admitted that their project inadvertently promoted extensive piracy, a consequence they claimed was unintended.
"In particular, we have been deeply disappointed when users have used our software to leak game content prior to its release and ruin the experience for legitimate purchasers and fans," the Yuzu team writes in one of its few archived GitHub files left on the platform.
Back in March, The Verge reported that even Suyu, a new project that uses Yuzu code, had been removed by Gitlab. The intimidating email appears to be a DMCA takedown request from Nintendo.
The same fate happened to Citra 3DS emulator and popular Switch emulator on Android, Skyline which was shutdown in 2023.
