Nintendo has secured a legal victory in the Netherlands after the Hague District Court (Rechtbank Den Haag) found the sale of certain devices designed to bypass Nintendo’s security measures unlawful.
The case targeted products marketed as MIG Switch Cards and MIG Switch Dumpers, devices that can be used to run unauthorized copies of games and unofficial software on modified Nintendo Switch hardware.
The court case focused on an online seller using a dropshipping model to ship these devices from Asia to European consumers.
The District Court concluded that offering and selling these circumvention devices infringed Nintendo’s copyrights and ordered the defendant to stop offering and selling MIG Switch Cards, MIG Switch Dumpers and any other products that circumvent Nintendo’s technological protection measures.
In its decision the court followed reasoning set by the Court of Justice of the European Union, recognizing that the primary purpose of the implicated devices is to circumvent security protections on Nintendo video game consoles and thereby enable the use of unauthorized copies of Nintendo video games.
The ruling echoes an earlier Dutch judgment from 2010 that prohibited the sale of R4 cards for the Nintendo DS on similar grounds.
Nintendo’s statement accompanying the ruling emphasized the company’s broader efforts to protect legitimate game sales and support developers.
The company asked players to refrain from purchasing or using circumvention hardware and software, or obtaining unauthorized copies of games, warning that such products can interfere with the functionality and user experience of authentic Nintendo consoles and games.
This ruling is part of a wider enforcement push by Nintendo.
In September 2025, Nintendo of America was awarded $2 million in damages in a separate lawsuit against distributors of MiG Switch devices, and Nintendo has pursued takedowns of hundreds of Switch emulator repositories on GitHub as part of its anti-piracy efforts.
For Nintendo Switch owners and developers alike, the Hague decision reinforces legal protections for consoles and genuine games while underscoring the risks posed by circumvention devices.
Retailers and marketplaces that facilitate dropshipping of such products should take note of the court’s order and the legal precedent it reiterates.
The case targeted products marketed as MIG Switch Cards and MIG Switch Dumpers, devices that can be used to run unauthorized copies of games and unofficial software on modified Nintendo Switch hardware.
The court case focused on an online seller using a dropshipping model to ship these devices from Asia to European consumers.
The District Court concluded that offering and selling these circumvention devices infringed Nintendo’s copyrights and ordered the defendant to stop offering and selling MIG Switch Cards, MIG Switch Dumpers and any other products that circumvent Nintendo’s technological protection measures.
In its decision the court followed reasoning set by the Court of Justice of the European Union, recognizing that the primary purpose of the implicated devices is to circumvent security protections on Nintendo video game consoles and thereby enable the use of unauthorized copies of Nintendo video games.
The ruling echoes an earlier Dutch judgment from 2010 that prohibited the sale of R4 cards for the Nintendo DS on similar grounds.
Nintendo’s statement accompanying the ruling emphasized the company’s broader efforts to protect legitimate game sales and support developers.
The company asked players to refrain from purchasing or using circumvention hardware and software, or obtaining unauthorized copies of games, warning that such products can interfere with the functionality and user experience of authentic Nintendo consoles and games.
This ruling is part of a wider enforcement push by Nintendo.
In September 2025, Nintendo of America was awarded $2 million in damages in a separate lawsuit against distributors of MiG Switch devices, and Nintendo has pursued takedowns of hundreds of Switch emulator repositories on GitHub as part of its anti-piracy efforts.
For Nintendo Switch owners and developers alike, the Hague decision reinforces legal protections for consoles and genuine games while underscoring the risks posed by circumvention devices.
Retailers and marketplaces that facilitate dropshipping of such products should take note of the court’s order and the legal precedent it reiterates.
