Nintendo to ROM sites: Forget cease-and-desist, now we’re suing

Enlarge / Though LoveROMs acted quickly to remove all traces of Nintendo-related content at its site, its 404 page still redirects to this Chrono Trigger (SNES) homage. (credit: LoveROMs)

Nintendo's attitude toward ROM releases-either original games' files or fan-made edits-has often erred on the side of litigiousness. But in most cases, the game producer has settled on cease-and-desist orders or DMCA claims to protect its IP.

This week saw the company grow bolder with its legal action, as Nintendo of America filed a lawsuit (PDF) on Thursday seeking millions in damages over classic games' files being served via websites.

The Arizona suit, as reported by TorrentFreak, alleges "brazen and mass-scale infringement of Nintendo's intellectual property rights" by the sites LoveROMs and LoveRetro. These sites combine ROM downloads and in-browser emulators to deliver one-stop gaming access, and the lawsuit includes screenshots and interface explanations to demonstrate exactly how the sites' users can gain access to "thousands of [Nintendo] video games, related copyrighted works, and images."

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