Video Game Pirate Caught in Nintendo Sting Faces Steep Consequences
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Gary Bowser was part of a group that bypass Nintendo's anti-piracy software to allow people to play free pirated games. He was arrested in a sting operation by Nintendo and sentenced to over a year in jail.
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Bowser has a $14.5 million settlement debt to Nintendo that he says he'll be paying off for the rest of his life.
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Nintendo used Bowser's case to send a message to other video game pirates about the consequences. Bowser feels he caught a stray bullet as the middleman.
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Bowser struggled to get proper medical care in prison and now struggles to pay bills with his monthly payments to Nintendo.
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He has a GoFundMe seeking $9,000 to help restart his life after prison, but it likely won't impact Nintendo's $8.7 billion in revenue.