Prominent Italian YouTube blogger Once Were Nerd, specializing in retro gaming, recently reported a visit from Italian law enforcement. The reason for the inquiry was a suspicion that his reviews of third-party portable gaming devices might have violated Italian copyright law. If formally charged, the YouTuber could face imprisonment or substantial monetary fines.
As reported by Insider Gaming, the blogger stated on his channel that he is under investigation by the Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency operating under Italy`s Ministry of Economy and Finance. Armed with a search warrant, the agency confiscated his phone and more than 30 handheld gaming systems.
The primary concerns revolve around portable consoles from manufacturers like Anbernic and GoRetroid, which Once Were Nerd has reviewed on his channel. These devices frequently come pre-loaded with unauthorized ROMs of various retro games originally published by companies such as Sony and Nintendo.
The agency is investigating potential violations of Italian copyright law, which deems the promotion of copyrighted material via social media illegal. Once Were Nerd refutes claims of promoting the devices, asserting that none of his content was sponsored by the console manufacturers and that he simply provided unbiased reviews of available products.
Should formal charges be pressed, Once Were Nerd could face a fine of up to 30 million Italian Lira, imprisonment for up to three years, and the potential closure of all his channels by the authorities. The investigation remains ongoing.
