.png)
Japan recently apprehended a 36-year-old individual for the illicit sale of altered Pokémon Violet save files. These files contained rare Pokémon with modified movesets and colors, among other features. The man is now facing a potential prison term of up to five years.
The act of modifying and distributing counterfeit Pokémon files may constitute a violation of Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act, as reported by the Japanese broadcaster NHK World. The police have revealed that the man utilized a specialized tool to unlawfully alter the abilities of the Pokémon in the Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Violet.
Interested customers could provide their preferences for Pokémon and desired modifications, such as alternate colors and moves, through an online marketplace. Allegedly, the man charged approximately 80 euros per request. Authorities estimate that these transactions generated millions of yen or thousands of euros in total. The suspect has admitted to his actions, citing financial difficulties as his motivation for selling the illegal Pokémon. It is believed that he bypassed the technical limitations of the Switch through this scheme, according to the ACCS, a Japanese organization that upholds copyrights on computer software.
In addition to supplying hacked save files, the man also purportedly modified customers' consoles to enable the use of these alterations in their games. The breach of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act carries severe penalties in Japan. The offender could face a sentence of five years in prison, a fine of 5 million yen (over 30,000 euros), or a combination of both consequences.
English (US)