A retro gaming YouTuber in Italy is facing a possible three-year prison sentence and a hefty fine for reviewing handheld gaming consoles that came preloaded with ROMs.
The creator behind Once Were Nerd, known for his in-depth coverage of retro gaming, revealed that Italian customs enforcement officers raided his home and office on April 15. According to his latest YouTube video, officials from the Guardia di Finanza were armed with a warrant tied to the alleged promotion of pirated content.
As reported by Android Authority, over 30 handhelds from companies like ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI were seized in the operation. Devices like the ANBERNIC RG Slide, which sometimes ship with microSD cards full of emulated Nintendo games, are central to the case. Officials also confiscated his phone, which was returned two months later on June 15.
YouTuber denies promoting consoles with emulated games
Despite the sweeping raid, the YouTuber says he was cooperative throughout and handed over transcripts of conversations with manufacturers to prove he never knowingly promoted gaming piracy through “sponsorships” – something he denies.
“I have always reiterated that these consoles can only be used if you have, as in my case, the original copy of the game,” he stated. “I have never ‘sponsored’ but ‘reviewed’ with the utmost objectivity citing both PRO and AGAINST of every device.”
Still, under Italy’s Article 171-ter of the 1941 Copyright Law, the case could result in a €15,000 (roughly $17,300 USD) fine and up to three years in prison. Even more concerning, authorities could potentially shut down his social media accounts, including his YouTube channel, before proving any wrongdoing.
So far, no formal charges have been disclosed. Under Italian law, investigators aren’t required to reveal full details until the initial inquiry concludes.
The creator has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover legal costs. “Every single euro used by this collection will be justified, documented in detail, and visible to all,” he promised.
“To date, the Guardia di Finanza is also proceeding to obscure all my social channels, thus making it impossible for me to continue to bring other content that is not the subject of this investigation,” he added.
At the time of writing, he’s raised just over $6,000 for his legal battle. The YouTuber further says he plans to possibly move after the trial if he’s no longer able to publish videos in Italy, and warned fellow creators in the country to be careful in case something similar happens to them.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.