Nintendo won a $4.5 million default judgment against James C. Williams, known online as “Archbox,” on September 23, 2026. The award is the statutory maximum of $150,000 for each of 30 Nintendo Switch games. The phrase “nowhere near” came from Nintendo’s earlier request for that amount—not from the judge, who granted the request and called the damages appropriate.
What Nintendo accused Archbox of doing
Nintendo of America filed its case in June 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Its complaint alleged that Williams operated online shops offering unauthorized Switch game copies, promoted them in the r/SwitchPirates Reddit community, and helped users access circumvention software. Those are allegations in Nintendo’s complaint, not findings from a contested trial. Nintendo of America’s complaint
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How the court arrived at $4.5 million
The September 23, 2026 order awarded statutory copyright damages under 17 U.S.C. § 504(c)(2). The calculation was $150,000 for each of 30 listed games, totaling $4.5 million. That per-work figure is the statutory maximum applied by the court in this case. The court’s order
Judge Lauren King reasoned that, at roughly $50 per game, potential lost sales could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. The court described the statutory maximum as “not an unrealistic estimate” of Nintendo’s actual damages and wrote that “Williams’ egregious infringement activities merit substantial punishment here.” The lost-sales figure is the court’s assessment, not an independently audited count.
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Why “nowhere near” does not describe the judge’s decision
Nintendo used that phrase in an October 2025 motion seeking $4.5 million. The company argued that “the money at stake by this Motion is nowhere near an amount that would compensate NOA for the seriousness of Defendants’ conduct.” In September 2026, the judge awarded the requested $4.5 million; she did not say that the award was “nowhere near” enough. GamesRadar+’s report on the earlier motion and judgment
This was a default judgment, not a contested trial
Williams did not answer the lawsuit. The court’s order recounts that Nintendo served him, the clerk entered default, and Nintendo later moved for default judgment. Judge King explained that, after default, factual allegations in the complaint are generally taken as true except those relating to damages; a plaintiff still has to establish its entitlement to the requested relief. The judgment therefore should not be described as the result of a trial where both sides litigated the evidence.
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The judgment also imposes a permanent injunction
In addition to damages, the order permanently bars Williams and people acting under his direction or control from specified copyright-infringing and circumvention conduct. It also orders him to disable online shops and social accounts used to offer or promote pirated Switch games. The order defines the injunction’s scope. The court’s order
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will Nintendo collect the $4.5 million?
The judgment establishes that Williams owes the awarded amount; the available coverage does not establish that Nintendo has received payment or will recover the full sum. TorrentFreak and Nintendo Life both note that collection is uncertain. TorrentFreak Nintendo Life
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