Some fallout from the early leak of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom appears to be taking place. As players are loading the game into emulators and playing them unofficially on their computers, prior to the launch date, Nintendo is taking action to prevent that from happening. Lockpick and Lockpick_RCM are homebrew tools that allow users to dump unique keys from their Nintendo Switch console, which are required for numerous Switch hacking-related programs, including the Ryujinx and Yuzu Switch emulators. While Lockpick has been around for years, Nintendo has reportedly decided to go after it, by issuing a DMCA takedown to the GitHub project page, igniting concern and discussion within the community.

At the time of writing, Lockpick_RCM's repository is still active, it could be due to GitHub providing a grace period following a DMCA notice. Twitter user Simon Aarons was made aware of the takedown, after forking Lockpick, and allegedly receiving an email from GitHub, on behalf of Nintendo of America's legal team, who asserts that Lockpick is "circumvention software that infringes Nintendo’s intellectual property rights. Specifically, the reported repository provides Lockpick to users. The use of Lockpick with a modified Nintendo Switch console allows users to bypass Nintendo’s Technological Measures for video games; specifically, Lockpick bypasses the Console TPMs to permit unauthorized access to, extraction of, and decryption of all the cryptographic keys, including product keys, contained in the Nintendo Switch. The decrypted keys facilitate copyright infringement by permitting users to play pirated versions of Nintendo’s copyright-protected game software on systems without Nintendo’s Console TPMs or systems on which Nintendo’s Console TPMs have been disabled. Trafficking in circumvention software, such as Lockpick, violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of the United States (specifically, 17 U.S.C. §1201), and infringes copyrights owned by Nintendo."

Shortly after this, Skyline Emulator, a Switch emulator for Android devices, made the decision to shut down development, via a post on their Discord Server. Since you need the keys dumped from Lockpick in order to run Skyline, the team behind the emulator is concerned that it means Nintendo will target them for also violating their copyright.

It is with great sadness that we bring you this news. Recently, Nintendo has issued a DMCA takedown notice against Lockpick RCM which will likely come into effect on Monday, Lockpick is a core part of legally dumping keys from the Switch. They claim that it circumvents their copy protection (TPMs) and therefore violates their copyright. We find ourselves in a position where we are potentially violating their copyright by continuing to develop our project, Skyline, by dumping keys from our own Switches.

The Skyline team will be making their incomplete source code public, at the very least, and will keep the emulator's GitHub page active. Other homebrew projects are rumored to have been hit with DMCA notices as well. Ryujinx's emulator team stated that they will not be shutting down, following worries after Skyline.

 

[JeepX87]

Yes, Nintendo is Japanese company, but nearly most if not all DMCA notices are done by Nintendo of America, and it is reason about why @ELY_M labelled as American company.

 

[ELY_M]

I will not buy their new system at all. I hope every American boycott their new system.

I refuse to play or buy TOTK.

 

[Adran_Marit]

@linuxares bios files maybe.

 

[Dothackjhe]

It's your typical Nintendo flexing its muscles again.

 

[JeepX87]

I will not buy their new system at all. I hope every American boycott their new system.

That is your decision and I don't buy console if it isn't hackable, and the hackable was big reason that I bought Switch.

I refuse to play or buy TOTK.

I'm not impressed with TOTK because of recycled map and it wouldn't my highest priority to get TOTK.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Playing Breath of the Wild on Steam Deck via CEMU w/ Second Wind mod

Oh what's that Nintendo?...more ill will to solidify my decision to not support you?....anyway......... back to my game

 

[Purple_Heart]

New Nintendo Song:

Im Stupid and i know it......

 

[VashTS]

lock me up now. since my car can kill people, may as well put me in jail for murder prior to me committing it.

usual nintendo being the laughing stock and just doing legal things to bully everyone.

 

[ELY_M]

I do not get my switch till the rcm exploit was out. the switch sales gone up after the exploit was out.

 

[PacBunnyXV07]

I like how people are shitting on Nintendo for protecting themselves. Why are pieces of shits for preventing something that can harm and ruin business for them? Prejudice Hypocrites have no respect.

 

[Jayro]

Skyline team is a bunch'a pussies of they fold that easy. Never even heard of them before this thread. They're not even in Nintendo's crosshairs, and they cave like a tissue at a snot party.

Post automatically merged: May 7, 2023

I like how people are shitting on Nintendo for protecting themselves. Why are pieces of shits for preventing something that can harm and ruin business for them? Prejudice Hypocrites have no respect.

We hate them for taking down fan projects, instead of supporting them.

 

[EnigmaExodus]

Wonder if someones jimmies got rustled by picofly and friends

I like how people are shitting on Nintendo for protecting themselves. Why are pieces of shits for preventing something that can harm and ruin business for them? Prejudice Hypocrites have no respect.

Because distributing copyrighted material that is for current purchase versus tools that assist on the loading of homebrew applications on your own device are totally the same thing...

 

[Something whatever]

class action

 

[smilodon]

Oh no, my totally legit backup loader! How will I play my totally legit leak of TotK that I totally paid for? Emulators are like guns, they are useful tools and everyone should own one. I will now pirate all their game (like I totally didn't do for every other game ever).

 

[Pickle_Rick]

This is why I have a Steam Deck. Well, that and it's awesome.

 

[WhileTrueBreak]

_

 

[linuxares]

This is disingenuous. 99.9% of people use kitchen knives to cut food, not to kill people.

I'm pretty sure the majority of people using tools like Lockpick aren't using them for legitimate purposes only. If the majority of people were using kitchen knives to hurt people, you can bet the lawmakers would be looking into outlawing them.

Many people here are doing a lot of self-righteous virtue signaling about how horrible Nintendo is while playing their games without paying for them. You don't get to be on the moral high ground when you're a pirate.

Funny enough, I mostly keep a copy of my keys incase I need them for a Nand restore if something really breaks.

 

[Adran_Marit]

Funny enough, I mostly keep a copy of my keys incase I need them for a Nand restore if something really breaks.

Yep. I've used my keys before to repair, restore and upgrade my nand

 

[NinStar]

This is disingenuous. 99.9% of people use kitchen knives to cut food, not to kill people.

I'm pretty sure the majority of people using tools like Lockpick aren't using them for legitimate purposes only. If the majority of people were using kitchen knives to hurt people, you can bet the lawmakers would be looking into outlawing them.

Many people here are doing a lot of self-righteous virtue signaling about how horrible Nintendo is while playing their games without paying for them. You don't get to be on the moral high ground when you're a pirate.

Even if you see what I said as a strawman, realistically speaking, most people pirating Switch games to play on PC are not even getting the keys from their own console (if they even have one to begin with).

 

[antiNT]

Why did Skyline shutdown if Nintendo didn't even talk to them? I don't get it. At least wait till you receive an actual DMCA takedown before taking action. They shutdown just because they *could* be targeted. Strange