Gary Bowser, Member of Nintendo Hacking Group, Completes 40-month Prison Sentence
Via NME
Summary
Gary Bowser, a Canadian member of the hacking group Team Xecuter sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for selling devices that bypassed Nintendo's anti-piracy protections, was released early in March 2023 after serving roughly 14 months due to good behavior. Bowser had pled guilty to conspiracy to circumvent technological measures and trafficking in circumvention devices, part of a sweeping crackdown on Team Xecuter, which generated millions selling modchips and custom firmware allowing pirated games to run on Nintendo hardware.
Despite his release, Bowser remains legally bound to pay Nintendo approximately $10 million in damages under a consent judgment allowing the company to claim 25 to 30 percent of his gross monthly income for the rest of his life. The case attracted widespread attention for both the severity of financial penalties imposed on a man of modest means and the remarkable coincidence of a man named Bowser being pursued relentlessly by Nintendo.
