Nintendo makes another push against piracy

Days after announcing successful raids on pirate facilities in Asia, Nintendo has revealed that it's currently seeking help from the United States trade representative in Washington DC to aid in the fight against companies selling pirated software and devices in China, Paraguay, and Mexico. Nintendo is asking the Chinese government to prosecute those that engage in any pirating activities. In Paraguay, video game piracy has been linked to financing of the terrorist organization known as Hezbollah, and the country has fought to get the Memorandum of Understanding (that was originally approved in 1998) renewed. Meanwhile in Mexico, Nintendo is calling for stricter customs controls so that offenders are penalized for attempting to sell pirated material.

"China remains the world's principal site for manufacturing of pirated cartridge-based video games, and Paraguay is a major transshipment point for regional distribution of pirated goods in the Western Hemisphere," explains Jodi Daugherty, director of antipiracy at Nintendo of America. "In Mexico, Nintendo has been battling with a pirate over its famous Game Boy trademark for 10 years."