Italian YouTuber Faces Police Action Over Retro Handheld Reviews

A police raid was conducted on an Italian YouTuber for reviewing handheld gaming devices loaded with classic games. As reported by Android Authority, Francesco Salicini, known as Once Were Nerd, had his home searched by customs enforcement officers from the Guardia di Finanza earlier this year. The search warrant was executed after Salicini reviewed several retro handheld devices from manufacturers like ANBERNIC, Powkiddy, and TrimUI on his channel. Over 30 devices, along with his personal phone, were seized during the raid. Salicini also shared detailed transcripts of his interactions with the device manufacturers. According to Eurogamer, Salicini has been accused of violating Article 171-ter of the Italian Copyright Law, which may result in a fine of around $17,000 and up to three years in prison. Currently, Salicini awaits the outcome of the investigation to determine if he will face any charges. While the raid appears to be connected to copyrighted material from Nintendo and Sony, it is possible that the enforcement agency acted independently. Salicini stated, 'I have always provided objective reviews, highlighting both the pros and cons of each device.' He also mentioned that the Guardia di Finanza has blocked all his social media channels as a precautionary measure, preventing him from creating new content unrelated to the investigation. Salicini believes the case will likely go to trial, requiring him to hire a defense lawyer and incur significant expenses. Nintendo has been cracking down on piracy and emulation, revising its Account Agreement and Account Privacy Policy to strengthen the rules on emulation and piracy. The company has also taken action against Switch 2 players using the MIG Switch and targeted piracy sites like Yuzu, Tropic Haze, and Nsw2u.