Nintendo Australia fines NSMB Wii uploader $1.5 million

Finally, Nintendo has been able to make a little money from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a sequel to one of its old franchises, released this November. Nintendo of Australia announced that as the result of a federal court settlement, one Australian will be required to pay $1.5 million ($1.3 million USD) to Nintendo for loss of revenue due. This person was allegedly the first to upload New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the internet, doing so on November 6, one week before the game was released (an act that facilitated creative works in addition to piracy).

Not only is this bad news for this one guy, it should also serve as a warning to other would-be pirates. "Upon the game being uploaded to the Internet, Nintendo was able to employ the use of sophisticated technological forensics to identify the individual responsible for illegally copying the file and making it available for further distribution," Nintendo said in a press release. "On 23 November, 2009, Nintendo obtained a Federal Court search order in respect of the individual's residential premises. This led to the seizure of property from those premises in order to gain further evidence against the individual."

If you upload Nintendo games, the company will come to your house and take your stuff. Chilling.

[Thanks, Foetoid]