Nintendo Fines New Super Mario Bros. Wii Uploader $1.5 Million

Nintendo of Australia has announced that as a result of a federal court settlement, an Australian will be required to pay $1.5 million ($1.3 million USD) to Nintendo for revenue loss after uploading New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the Internet.

The Australian was allegedly the first person to upload New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the Internet on November 6, 2009, one week prior to the game's official release date.

As a result of the Australian's NSBM Wii upload, hackers were able to create level editors for the game. Nintendo's larger issue, however, was that the upload facilitated piracy of the game.

"Upon the game being uploaded to the Internet, Nintendo was able to employ the use of sophisticated technological forensics to identify the individual responsible for illegally copying the file and making it available for further distribution," Nintendo said in a press release.

"On 23 November, 2009, Nintendo obtained a Federal Court search order in respect of the individual's residential premises. This led to the seizure of property from those premises in order to gain further evidence against the individual."