Italian retro gaming YouTuber As soon as Had been Nerd just lately revealed that he was visited by Italian legislation enforcement, with considerations that his opinions of third-party gaming handhelds may very well be in breach of Italian copyright legislation. If charged, the YouTuber may face jail time or hefty fines.
The YouTuber revealed on his channel, as reported by Insider Gaming, that he’s being investigated by the Guardia di Finanza, a legislation enforcement company below Italy’s Ministry of Financial system and Finance. Armed with a search warrant, the company seized his telephone, in addition to over 30 handheld gaming programs.
The considerations focus on third-party handhelds As soon as Had been Nerd has reviewed on his channel, by producers akin to Anbernic and GoRetroid. The handhelds typically ship with unauthorized ROMs of assorted retro video games initially revealed by corporations like Sony and Nintendo.
The company is investigating potential breaches of Italian copyright legislation, below which it is unlawful to advertise copyrighted materials by way of social media. As soon as Had been Nerd disputes that he was selling the units, saying that none of his materials was sponsored by the console producers, and that he’s merely offering neutral opinions of accessible merchandise.
If formally charged, As soon as Had been Nerd may face fines of as much as 30 million Italian Lira and as much as three years of jail time, in addition to the specter of having all his channels shut down by the authorities. The investigation remains to be ongoing.