A pre-release leak of New Super Mario Bros Wii will cost a gaming pirate 1.5 million dollars.
A Queensland, Australia man who leaked New Super Mario Bros Wii on the internet a week before the game launched will pay Nintendo 1.5 million dollars in damages. The man, James Burt, 24, was traced by what Nintendo referred to as "sophisticated technological forensics" and was ordered to allow Nintendo access to his email accounts, websites, and web accounts. Burt will also be required to pay Nintendo's legal bill of $100,000.
Nintendo Australia managing director Rose Lappin commented on the situation, calling the leak a mar on the game's release, especially since the Australia release came before other countries. Lappin said, "It wasn't just an Australian issue, it was a global issue. There was thousands and thousands of downloads, at a major cost to us and the industry really. It's not just about us. It's about retailers and if they can't sell the games then they have to bear the costs associated with that. Once it's on the internet it's anyone's really."