Nintendo Lawyer Clarifies Legal Gray Area Surrounding Emulators

Nintendo's Koji Nishiura explains that emulators are not inherently illegal but can violate copyright laws depending on their functionality and use.

Nintendo's patent attorney Koji Nishiura addressed the legality of emulators during a recent event hosted by Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software.
Nishiura clarified that while emulators are not illegal by default, they can infringe on copyright laws if they copy proprietary software, disable security features, or facilitate piracy.
Nintendo has aggressively targeted emulators, including issuing DMCA takedowns for popular Switch emulators Yuzu and Ryujinx in 2024, citing copyright violations.
The company has also acted against tools like flash carts and the Dolphin emulator, arguing they bypass security measures and enable unauthorized access to games.
While some argue emulators preserve gaming history, Nintendo maintains a strict stance on protecting its intellectual property, particularly for its modern systems.