Case 1:24-cv-00082-JJM-LDADocument 1Filed 02/26/24Page 14 of 41 PageID #: 14
application of information and processes, with the authority of Nintendo, to gain access to Nintendo’s or its licensees’ copyrighted works, and thus effectively control access to those works and protect rights of the copyright owners of those works.
- Yuzu Overview
38. Yuzu is a video game emulator for Nintendo Switch games. A video game emulator is a piece of software that allows general-purpose computing devices to play video games published only for a specific console. Defendant makes two versions of Yuzu available for download from a standalone website YUZU-EMU.ORG (which pulls the software from a Github server). These versions are compatible with Windows and Linux systems, including PCs. Although Yuzu can be downloaded for free, Defendant maintains a Patreon page[1] for the “yuzu Team,” which solicits monthly donations for the project, in exchange for early access to “daily updates” and “special unreleased features.” Similarly, on Google Play, Defendant offers a paid “early access” version and a free version for Android devices, both of which were recently released. Yuzu’s Patreon account currently has over 7,000 patrons and, according to the Yuzu Patreon page, earns Defendant and its developers approximately $30,000 a month. Since the publication of the Android version of Yuzu on Google Play on May 30, 2023, the free version has been downloaded over 1 million times and the paid version has been downloaded over 10,000 times, earning Defendant at least an additional $50,000 plus.
39. Yuzu only allows for the play of video games published for the Nintendo Switch; Yuzu is not compatible with games made for any other console (including games actually designed for Windows, Linux, or Android systems).
40. After downloading and installing Yuzu, the user is able to use Yuzu and its circumvention functionality to play pirated games using their associated keys. All the user needs to do is supply an unlawfully-obtained copy of the “prod.keys”—cryptographic keys that
- ↑ Patreon (PATREON.COM) is a platform where creators can offer paid memberships for content.
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