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Nintendo DMCA notices take Switch emulators and mod-chip firmware off GitHub
GitHub posted four Nov. 6 Nintendo notices against Yuzu, Citron Neo and Picofly-style firmware; it processed a 144-repository firmware network. IGN reported the same batch.
- IGN is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Nintendo Takes Down Emulators and Firmware in Massive GitHub DMCA Sweep”
- Our desk filed its story
- ign.com is now reporting this
Nintendo of America sent four Digital Millennium Copyright Act notices that GitHub posted dated Nov. 6, targeting Nintendo Switch emulator repositories and mod-chip firmware, IGN reported1. GitHub's posted files match that count.
The notices named Switch emulator projects including Yuzu and Citron Neo, along with firmware used with hardware mod chips, according to IGN and the GitHub posts1.
GitHub said that because the reported Picofly network was larger than 100 repositories, and the submitter alleged forks infringed to the same extent as the parent, it processed the takedown against the entire network of 144 repositories, including the parent. IGN likewise said that firmware set had 144 repositories, all replaced with a DMCA notice1.
The Picofly notice identifies https://github.com/Ansem-SoD/Picofly and says the reported repositories offer access to mod-chip firmware including SX Core, SX Lite, Picofly or HWFLY, which Nintendo says lets mod chips circumvent technological protection measures by bypassing the boot sequence.
Companion notices identify Yuzu Android and Yuzu mainline repositories and a Citron Neo parent at https://github.com/citron-neo/emulator. GitHub said it processed the Citron Neo notice against a 71-repository network because the parent was being forked when the notice arrived.
The posted notices state that Switch consoles and games contain technological protection measures that permit the console to interact only with legitimate Nintendo video game files. IGN summarized the same language from the Nov. 6 posting1.
IGN said the action is not Nintendo's first GitHub takedown of Yuzu, and that the latest notices appear focused on mod-chip firmware1.
IGN said firmware of that kind still appeared to be hosted elsewhere on GitHub, citing TorrentFreak1. GitHub's posted Picofly notice says it contacted owners of some or all affected repositories and provided information on how to submit a counter-notice; whether any counter-notices were filed is not stated in the IGN account or the GitHub files reviewed1.