Latest news with #OnceWereNerd
Android Authority
22-07-2025
- Android Authority
Here's why that embattled retro gaming YouTuber might not be so innocent
TL;DR Embattled retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd left out key incriminating details in his initial video. Earlier videos uploaded to the channel link to blog posts sharing ROM and BIOS downloads. He may have also sold consoles, with ROMs, on the secondhand market via Facebook. Creating emulation-focused content online is risky business, since the entire industry is filled with legal gray areas. Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd found this out the hard way, with authorities seizing dozens of consoles and threatening jail time for sharing copyrighted content. While his initial response video proclaimed innocence, new details have come to light that tell a different story. While the creater never explicitly shared ROMs, he may have played a little too fast and loose for his own good. In a video posted in January, Once Were Nerd creator Francesco Salicini ran through the steps to set up a new emulation handheld (h/t Monto Tech). While he clearly wants to avoid giving details on YouTube, he links to a blog post on his website with the text 'Where to find ROMs' in the description. The link to the blog post has since been removed, but it's still visible in the Wayback machine (translated below). That blog post (which is still live as of writing) links to websites with ROM and BIOS downloads, both of which are protected by copyright. The post does include a disclaimer asking readers to only download ROMs for games they legally own, but this is a very thin legal defense. The video also recommends buying a handheld that ships with a microSD card filled with ROMs, then copying those ROMs to your other gaming handhelds. In addition to this, users on the RetroAchievements forums uncovered that he was auctioning used handhelds on his Facebook page. These included the original microSD cards filled with games, which refutes his initial claims that he did not share or profit from copyrighted material. Still, it's worth pointing out that all of these handhelds are readily available to buy on Amazon. Handing down jail time to a YouTuber for a relatively minor offense while ignoring the retailers and middlemen who are actively profiting off of selling copyrighted materials isn't a great precedent to set for content creators in the future. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
WIRED
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
Italian YouTuber Faces Jail Time for Showing Android Handhelds With Emulated Games
Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica The games on the devices shown by the content creator may not be entirely legal. That was enough for Italian law enforcement to ding him for 'promotion of pirated copyrighted materials.' Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Photograph:There are countless Android-powered gaming handhelds, but they go beyond the usual slate of Android games by offering console emulation support. The problem is the game ROMs on these devices, which are not entirely legal. Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd is learning how seriously some rights holders are taking game piracy after agents from the country's Guardia di Finanza showed up to confiscate his consoles. He now says the investigation could lead to criminal charges and the end of his channel. Once Were Nerd has produced YouTube content covering a plethora of gaming topics, including Android-based handheld game machines from the likes of Powkiddy and TrimUI. These devices usually run an older version of Android that has been heavily modified for gaming, featuring built-in emulation support for retro consoles like SNES, Nintendo 64, PlayStation Portable, GameCube, and more. They've become quite popular as the cost of mobile hardware has come down, making it possible to buy what is essentially an updated PSP or Game Boy Advance for $100 or less. Recently, Once Were Nerd attracted the attention of Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance, which is tasked with policing copyright in the country. In the video first spotted by Android Authority (which has an AI-generated English language track), the YouTuber explains that Guardia di Finanza appeared at his door in April with a search warrant. Agents accused the creator of promoting pirated copyrighted materials stemming from his coverage of Anbernic handheld game consoles. While emulation software is not illegal, a surprising number of these devices ship chock-full of preloaded ROMs—the channel showed multiple Sony and Nintendo games running on the device. Once Were Nerd is far from the only channel posting about these devices, though. Officials seized more than 30 handheld consoles and demanded copies of Once Were Nerd's correspondence with the companies making these devices. Once Were Nerd says he has cooperated fully with investigators and contends that he has done nothing wrong. Legal Gray Area The firms making these handhelds all operate out of China, which is beyond the reach of Western copyright law. They still sell the devices internationally, sticking to vague language about the inclusion of game ROMs. For example, Anbernic offers bundles with microSD cards marked as "compatible 7000+ games." That makes this approach to revisiting retro games a legal gray area at the very least. Authorities believe Once Were Nerd's activities may still run afoul of Article 171 in Italy's copyright law, which allows for up to three years imprisonment for violations. It is unclear who made the original complaint against the channel. Once Were Nerd has seen documents that cite copyrighted material from Nintendo and Sony, but Guardia di Finanza doesn't need to reveal that detail until the preliminary investigation is finished, and cases can be brought by the agency itself. (Nintendo, for one, is particularly litigious when it comes to defending its intellectual property.) When the investigation is complete, the government will either file charges or dismiss the case. Current law also gives officials the power to shut down the Once Were Nerd channel while the investigation is ongoing. Italy has a history of heavy-handed copyright enforcement—the country's internet regulator recently demanded that Google poison DNS to block illegal streams of soccer. So it's not hard to believe investigators would pursue a case against someone who posts videos featuring pirated games on YouTube. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
Android Authority
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Embattled retro gaming YouTuber shares update, launches new channel
TL;DR Once Were Nerd, the Italian YouTuber under fire for reviewing handhelds, has shared an update on his channel. The case is still active, but authorities have already requested his channel be shut down. YouTube is reviewing the case, but he has proactively created a new channel. The retro gaming community has rallied behind the embattled Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd, who faces a massive fine and possible jail time for reviewing emulation handhelds with pre-loaded ROMs. He has now posted a short update amid the media frenzy, although it may be his last. In a YouTube Short embedded below, Once Were Nerd creator Francesco Salicini thanked his followers for their support, and revealed that authorities have already requested that his channels be taken down. This includes not just his website and YouTube channel, but also his Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, Discord, and Telegram. While his website is already unavailable for many users in Italy, YouTube is still reviewing the case. He has removed all videos covering ANBERNIC handhelds, but his stance is still that he didn't break any community guidelines. There are countless other YouTubers reviewing the same products, many of which are readily available on Amazon Italy, complete with pre-loaded ROMs. Still, he has taken the proactive step of creating a second channel in case his first is shut down. He would lose over 220 videos and nearly 50,000 subscribers, but at least he can continue his career as a YouTuber. At the moment, the second channel doesn't have any uploads, but if things continue to escalate, that's where you can find future updates. That said, Francesco did mention that he has to be careful with what he says. Anything he says can be used against him in court, so his lawyers have advised him to avoid giving more details about the case. Ultimately, his main wish is for all of this to blow over so he can get back to creating YouTube videos for his followers. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Retro gaming YouTuber faces possible jail in Italy over handheld reviews linked to copyright laws
Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd is facing the possibility of jail time after authorities raided his home and office over the review of retro gaming handheld devices, including ANBERNIC consoles. The incident took place on April 15, when officers from the Guardia di Finanza executed a search warrant related to the alleged promotion of pirated copyrighted material. Over 30 handheld consoles from brands including ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI were seized, along with the creator's phone, which was returned two months later. Under Italian law, officials are not required to disclose specific charges or the complainant until the initial investigation concludes. At that stage, the case will either be dismissed or proceed to trial. The complaint reportedly concerns the reproduction of copyrighted material from companies such as Nintendo and Sony, with the case potentially originating from the agency itself. Currently, the creator's channel may be shut down during the investigation, a step that can occur before any legal finding is made. Italian authorities are citing Article 171 ter of the Italian Copyright Law, originally drafted in 1941, which allows for a maximum penalty of €15,000 and up to three years in prison. The YouTuber has stated that reviews of devices like the ANBERNIC RG Slide were conducted without sponsorship or affiliate links and expressed compliance with the investigation.
Android Authority
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Forget copyright strikes, a retro gaming YouTuber faces jail time for reviewing gaming handhelds
TL;DR Retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd has been sued and raided by the Italian government. Consoles were seized and channels may be closed for promoting piracy of copyrighted material. Some of these devices ship with pre-loaded ROMs, which appears to be the source of the complaint. While gaming content continues to grow and thrive on video platforms like Twitch and YouTube, copyright remains a sticky issue. Most companies look the other way when it comes to game streaming, but emulation is another matter. Nintendo and others have used copyright strikes to discourage creators from emulating their games, but now a new legal threat has taken things to a whole new level. Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd covers a variety of retro gaming topics, but his reviews of ANBERNIC devices appear to be the straw that broke the camel's back. According to the video above, customs enforcement officers from the Guardia di Finanza showed up at his home and office on April 15 with a search warrant to investigate promotion of pirated copyrighted materials. They seized a variety of ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI gaming handhelds from his collection. In total, more than 30 consoles were taken. The creator, assuming he didn't do anything wrong, complied with demands, providing full transcripts of his conversations and chats with gaming handheld manufacturers. The officers also took his phone, promising to return it in a few days. It was returned two months later, on June 15. Officials seized more than 30 consoles, and may shut down the channel before it goes to trial. According to the video, officials are not required to disclose what exactly the charges are or who has brought them until the initial investigation is complete under Italian law. At that point, the case is either dismissed or goes to trial. The complaint specifically mentions reproduction of copyrighted material from Nintendo and Sony, but the case may originate from the agency itself. However, in the meantime officials have the option to shut down his channel, even before proving any wrongdoing. This is a scary prospect for any creator who has spent years building a channel, and unlike YouTube copyright strikes, there's likely no remedy. Currently, officials contest that his reviews of ANBERNIC devices like the RG Slide, which often, but not always, ship with microSD cards filled with copyrighted ROMs, are punishable under Article 171 ter of the Italian Copyright Law. This law, which was originally written in 1941, allows for a maximum punishment of €15,000 (or 30 million Italian Lira, since the law pre-dates the Euro) and three years of jail time. For his part, the creator of Once Were Nerd never published sponsored reviews of ANBERNIC products. This is how most reviewers remain impartial, although he claims to have taken things one step further by not including any affiliate links in his content. Time will tell how this case plays out, but it sets a dangerous precedent for other gaming-focused creators, especially in countries with draconian copyright laws that are decades out of date. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
