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.

 

[SylverReZ]

what tf do they think who they are? Ok protecting their shit is understandable.....but that rn is just exagerated. i dont think that will do shit, because i am sure someone will continue that what lockpick did.

There are other places to mirror projects that would hopefully not get their ass handed to them.

 

[Purple_Heart]

or that time where they let take down a video about OLD UNRELEASED ZELDA STUFF. like bitch...wtf.

 

[SylverReZ]

or that time where they let take down a video about OLD UNRELEASED ZELDA STUFF. like bitch...wtf.

I find that to be extra dickish of them to do, especially if anything is fair use.

 

[Purple_Heart]

glad i will mod my oled those idiots doesnt deserve any money from me...except if i buy a console lmao

 

[SylverReZ]

glad i will mod my oled those idiots doesnt deserve any money from me...except if i buy a console lmao

Modchips for the Switch are becoming more readily available and affordable such as the PicoFly, and as of recent, HWFLY are discontinuing their older modchips to focus on their RP2040 model.

 

[Rioluwott]

Next time: Nintendo DMCAs metal manufactures because it can be used to make clips that can be used to mod the switch.
They are going full damage control this time, maybe they just want to stop emulators just for enough time to totk to release either way its an scummy act as excepted from Nintendo of America.
as always, It's morally acceptable to pirate Nintendo games, laws don't matter if they are made to be exploited by companies and rich people instead of helping the people.

 

[ElYubiYubi]

Nintendo out there ruining people's life by taking 30% of their income for life. Destroying people's careers on YouTube and/or any other social media with content creators, closing down fans games that dont hurt them at all, spying on their own fans(GIGALEAK), treating their employees like shit and also now killing the homebrew scene. They be out there sending Cease and Desist to everybody and threatening everyone with lawsuits.

They need to be stopped

 

[Deleted member 388531]

imagine being such a sore loser over your game getting leaked you submit invalid DMCA takedowns to legal homebrew projects

i hope nintendo burns to the ground, shit company run by absolute pissbabies

 

[Bladexdsl]

nintendo on a fucking war path now! all because of one overrated AF zelda game leak that cant even run at 30 FPS most of the time

 

[Skelletonike]

Never heard of it tbh.
While I'm not a big fan of Nintendo going after homebrew, they are within their right. Honestly, Nintendo games bring leaked and pirated so often may give them some justification for their actions in court.

It's not the first or second game where this happens, if you poke a sleeping bear, you probably won't end up in one piece. Nintendo is lashing out at things that can be somewhat related and they will probably escalate it if it keeps happening.

If people want to leak stuff, they should do it more discretely. With social media and tradicional media so vocal about the leak... I mean... I dunno, I miss the "quieter" early 2000s.

 

[MikaDubbz]

I've gotten to the point where I no longer partake in early game leaks at all. I used to jump on the opportunity, but I've grown to feel like it's the same feeling as a child would get by spoiling Christmas by peaking at your gifts early. Something about experiencing something ahead of when all the masses will be sharing the experience at the same time just has no appeal to me anymore. Sure I would love to be playing TotK right now, but this excited and anxious feeling I still have leading up to next Friday is a fun and exciting part of a great game's launch that I've come to really enjoy as well.

 

[ganons]

I've gotten to the point where I no longer partake in early game leaks at all. I used to jump on the opportunity, but I've grown to feel like it's the same feeling as a child would get by spoiling Christmas by peaking at your gifts early. Something about experiencing something ahead of when all the masses will be sharing the experience at the same time just has no appeal to me anymore. Sure I would love to be playing TotK right now, but this excited and anxious feeling I still have leading up to next Friday is a fun and exciting part of a great game's launch that I've come to really enjoy as well.

Are you scared of Nintendo sending their ninjas to you lol

 

[Marc_LFD]

Nintendo never learns. So what development ceased, someone else will do it again.

It's like Nintendo is new to the internet.

 

[chrisrlink]

Nintendo out there ruining people's life by taking 30% of their income for life. Destroying people's careers on YouTube and/or any other social media with content creators, closing down fans games that dont hurt them at all, spying on their own fans(GIGALEAK), treating their employees like shit and also now killing the homebrew scene. They be out there sending Cease and Desist to everybody and threatening everyone with lawsuits.

They need to be stopped

and watch them get away with it too i want this world to end so badly now ether that or other things happen to the ninjas i cannot discribe in fear of legal reprocussions

 

[smf]

Honestly, Nintendo would still find some means of winning because the DMCA is basically designed to be abused.

DMCA is designed to protect copyright holders against the infringement that is occurring.

imagine being such a sore loser over your game getting leaked you submit invalid DMCA takedowns to legal homebrew projects

Why do you think they are invalid? Nintendo have been pretty gracious so far by not going after all the illegal projects.

 

[Bladexdsl]

RYU and yuzu will be next they won't fucking stop now they are out for blood

 

[chrisrlink]

Are you scared of Nintendo sending their ninjas to you lol

my guessi s yes I'm to the point that idgaf about what charges are brought as long as those nintendo idiots burn in hell!

 

[FAKEdemicBioPYSCHONANOWAR]

What dows this teach? Give into your bullies?

 

[nubman33]

Nintendo being the absolute pieces of shit they always are, except this time they did go a bit beyond.

Seems like they did indeed fume their asses out with TotK leaking and being playable leak day one on emulators, and this seems to be nothing but a fucking tantrum from them to try to stop this.

In any case, fuck Nintendo. Glad they haven't seen a dime from me in a decade, and that won't change anytime soon as long as they keep doing this shit.

Because protecting you IP makes you bad. Just admit that you’re a filthy pirate and are only mad because they’re shutting down one way of piracy.

 

[chrisrlink]

What dows this teach? Give into your bullies?

no if its one thing i learned fight back no matter what trouble you get into the law doesn't protect the weak, only those in power so take matters into your own hands