Italian financial police confiscate over 30 gaming handhelds from YouTuber following raid

Italian YouTube channel Once Were Nerd specializes in retro gaming and has also tested gaming handhelds such as the Miyoo Mini Plus. This could cost Once Were Nerd dearly, as the Guardia di Finanza (Italian financial police) are currently investigating a possible infringement of Italian copyright law. In April, six officers executed a search warrant and seized more than 30 gaming handhelds, mainly from Anbernic, Powkiddy and TrimUI.

The choice of these brands is no coincidence, as these gaming handhelds often come with numerous ROM files for unlicensed retro games. The police confiscated the YouTuber's smartphone for over a month in order to copy all the data stored on it. The investigation is ongoing; depending on the outcome, the case will either be dropped or indicted, leading to a court hearing.

According to Once Were Nerd, he faces a fine of up to €15,000 (around $17,427) and a permanent ban from his YouTube channel, which currently has 222 videos and 48,200 subscribers. Once Were Nerd speculates that Nintendo alerted the police about the channel, but there is no evidence of this yet. This case could have far-reaching implications for retro handheld testing, especially if they are supplied with ROM files. However, most handhelds can also be purchased without games installed ex works in order to use only legal copies of your own game modules.