Team Xecuter Explained

Team Xecuter is a hacker group that makes mod chips, cartridges and jailbreaking software for game consoles. Among console hackers, who primarily consist of hobbyists testing boundaries and believe in the open-source model, Team Xecuter was controversial for selling hacking tools for profit. Console systems targeted by the group include the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, GameCube, NES Classic Edition, PlayStation, Xbox and the Xbox 360.[1]

Legal issues

In September 2020, Canadian national Gary Bowser and French national Max "MAXiMiLiEN" Louarn were arrested for designing and selling "circumvention devices", specifically products to circumvent Nintendo Switch copy protection, and were named, along with Chinese citizen Yuanning Chen, in a federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, WA on August 20 of the same year.[2] Each of the three men named in the indictment faced 11 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to circumvent technological measures and to traffic in circumvention devices, trafficking in circumvention devices, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.[3] Bowser handled public relations for the group, which has been in operation since "at least" 2013.[4] By October 2021, Bowser pled guilty to conspiracy to circumvent technological measures and trafficking in circumvention devices, agreeing to pay a penalty and to continue to work with authorities in their continued investigation of Team Xecuter in exchange for dropping the other nine charges against him.[5] In December, he was ordered to pay another $10 million to Nintendo.[6] On February 10, 2022, Bowser was sentenced to 40 months in prison.[7] [8]

Nintendo separately filed a civil lawsuit against Bowser in April 2021 related to three counts of copyright infringement, seeking "damages" of $2500 per trafficked device, and $150,000 for each copyright violation.[9] [10]

Nintendo has also successfully prevailed in another lawsuit involving resellers of Team Xecuter devices, winning $2 million with a settlement.[11]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Warminksy. Joe. Nintendo Switch hackers from 'Team Xecuter' arrested, US says. CyberScoop. April 19, 2021. October 5, 2020. November 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104084435/https://www.cyberscoop.com/nintendo-switch-jailbreak-hacker-arrest/. live.
  2. Web site: Two members of notorious videogame piracy group "Team Xecuter" in custody. www.justice.gov. Department of Justice. April 19, 2021. en. October 2, 2020. May 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220502090355/https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/two-members-notorious-videogame-piracy-group-team-xecuter-custody. live.
  3. Web site: Noren (Chary). Krista. Nintendo Switch hackers Team Xecuter leaders arrested, charged in federal indictment. GBAtemp.net - The Independent Video Game Community. April 19, 2021. October 2, 2020. November 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211106055815/https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-hackers-team-xecuter-leaders-arrested-charged-in-federal-indictment.574871/. live.
  4. Web site: Doolan. Liam. Nintendo Is Suing A Reported "Leader" Of The Notorious Piracy Group Team Xecuter. Nintendo Life. April 19, 2021. April 18, 2021. November 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211106152614/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/04/nintendo_is_suing_a_reported_leader_of_the_notorious_piracy_group_team_xecuter. live.
  5. Web site: Bowser pleads guilty, ordered to pay $4.5M to Nintendo. Nicole. Carpenter. November 2, 2021. November 2, 2021. Polygon. February 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220214122418/https://www.polygon.com/22759520/bowser-pleads-guilty-nintendo-switch-hacker. live.
  6. Web site: 2021-12-07. Switch hacker Gary Bowser must pay Nintendo $10m on top of his $4.5m fine. 2021-12-08. VGC. en-GB. December 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211208122455/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/switch-hacker-gary-bowser-must-pay-nintendo-10m-on-top-of-his-4-5m-fine/. live.
  7. Web site: 2022-02-10. Bowser is going to prison for selling Nintendo Switch hacks. The Verge. 2022-02-10. February 11, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220211013315/https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/10/22927827/gary-bowser-sentenced-nintendo-switch-hacks-team-xecuter. live.
  8. Web site: Carpenter. Nicole. Bowser gets 3+ years in prison over Nintendo Switch hack scheme. Polygon. February 10, 2022 . February 10, 2022. February 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210205338/https://www.polygon.com/22927851/bowser-nintendo-switch-hacker-sentenced-prison. live.
  9. Web site: Carpenter. Nicole. Nintendo suing Bowser over Switch hacks. Polygon. April 17, 2021. en. April 17, 2021. April 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418031307/https://www.polygon.com/22388720/nintendo-bowser-lawsuit-team-xecuter. live.
  10. Web site: Yin-Poole. Wesley. Nintendo suing Switch hacker Gary Bowser. Eurogamer. April 17, 2021. en. April 17, 2021. December 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211217204622/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-17-nintendo-suing-switch-hacker-gary-bowser. live.
  11. Web site: Ivan. Tom. Nintendo wins $2 million in damages from Switch hacking device seller. VGC. October 1, 2020. en-GB. April 17, 2021. December 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211207160312/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-wins-2-million-in-damages-from-switch-hacking-device-seller/. live.

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