Nintendo Korea will be taking a firmer stance against software piracy, threatening legal action against anyone who copies, sells or distributes illegal game software.
The company has issued a statement which said in part, “Nintendo will take strict legal action against businesses that are earning unfair profits by selling illegal copy machineries and downloading pirated programs.” According to an article in the Korea Herald, this is the first time the Korean branch of Nintendo has made an official statement on the topic of piracy.
Nintendo released its highly-successful DS handheld system in Korea in January. The system quickly became a magnet for pirates, who have made illegal copies of popular DS titles widely available on websites, as well as for sale in electronics malls in Seoul and elsewhere.
Nintendo Korea representative Sung Hoo-jung said, “On the request of the Korea Game Industry Agency, Nintendo has entered Korea to help the Korean game industry grow into a profitable market. However, increasing software copies and illegal downloads have dampened profitability. This can hamper the development of the game industry.”
Asia has a reputation as a haven for software pirates, and such software is often sold out in the open, with little fear of repercussions. Many companies, as well as national governments, view it as the front line in the war against intellectual property theft.
