In a surprising turn, Valve, the digital distribution platform behind Steam, has taken action regarding the Dolphin Emulator’s presence on its platform. It has come to light that Valve proactively notified Nintendo about the Emulator’s impending release on Steam, leading to its subsequent removal.
The Verge recently reported on Valve’s actions, with the company confirming the notification. A spokesperson from Valve revealed, “Given Nintendo’s history of taking action against some emulators, we brought this to their attention proactively after the Dolphin team announced it was coming soon to Steam.”
Unlike a typical Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice, Valve did not follow that route.[1] Instead, they cited an intellectual property (IP) complaint received from Nintendo.
The email sent to the Dolphin team stated, “Nintendo of America asserts that your game content infringes on their IP. Due to the IP complaint, we have removed Dolphin Emulator from Steam until both parties notify us that the dispute is resolved.”
Valve’s separate statement emphasized the importance of creators distributing content they have the legal right to. “We operate Steam as an open platform, but that relies on creators shipping only things they have the legal right to distribute,” the company stated.
Valve’s decision to notify Nintendo of Dolphin’s presence was an effort to mitigate potential legal repercussions.
The gaming community has seen Nintendo’s strict approach to combating copyright infringement and piracy. Earlier this year, notorious hacker Gary Bowser, who had been incarcerated for piracy, was released but owes millions of dollars to Nintendo.
As the dust settles, removing Dolphin Emulator from Steam reminds us of the ongoing challenges emulator developers face and the delicate balance platforms like Steam must maintain between openness and compliance with intellectual property rights.
