Nintendo wins legal battle against file-hosting site 1fichier.com for piracy
Nintendo has won a significant legal victory against Dstorage SAS, the company behind file-hosting site 1fichier.com, for failing to remove pirated copies of Nintendo games from its platform. The French court of appeal has upheld Nintendo's victory in 2021 and has ordered Dstorage to pay €442,750 in damages. 1fichier.com is known for its "freemium" business model that enables users to access the platform for free and pay a fee to remove various restrictions. Unfortunately, the platform's compliance rate to takedown notices has been minimal, and users can upload infringing content on 1fichier, making that content publicly available via links posted elsewhere.
The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed that Dstorage SAS was "civilly liable for failing to withdraw or block access to illicit copies of Nintendo games hosted on its platform." Rightsholders no longer need to obtain a court order before filing requests with file-hosting services to remove or block access to infringing content, according to the Court of Appeal ruling. This ruling will likely impact other file-sharing services in France, and rightsholders can take advantage of this decision to remove infringing content quickly.
While the damages awarded were €442,750, the exact reason behind the reduction from €885,500 stated in the May 2021 decision is still unknown. Still, this victory shows that Nintendo is committed to fighting piracy and protecting its intellectual property rights. Nintendo sued Dstorage SAS to force 1fichier to comply with its takedown notices and pay compensation for damages. By obtaining this legal victory, Nintendo sends a clear message to other file-sharing services that it will not hesitate to pursue legal action against those who facilitate the distribution of pirated copies of its games.
