Last week, a man was arrested for altering data in the popular game Scarlet & Violet and then selling the modified data to players. Right now, some players are debating the legitimacy of genned and hacked Pokemon in the newest mainline game.
Illegal Modifications and Distribution
In the unlikeliest of circumstances, a Pokemon file led to the arrest of a hacker in Japan after he violated the Unfair Competition Prevention Act of 2019.
(Photo : Kamil S from Unsplash)
Under Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act of 2019, modifying saved files and distributing edited game data is considered unlawful. The arrested individual utilized a specialized tool to alter the abilities of Pokémon within the game.
As reported by NHK News and translated by Automaton, the man profited by selling these hacked Pokémon on a website.
For those unfamiliar with the terms, a genned mon is a Pokemon generated through PokeHex. Some Pokemon are cloned this way because they can't be obtained legally. Other genned mons look legit as long as they have the legal movesets. However, if it's a hacked mon, it has illegal moves or overpowered stats.
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How Much Did He Earn From Selling Hacked Mons
The report indicates that the man sold hacked Pokémon for prices reaching up to ¥13,000 ($85). Furthermore, he offered customized orders and discounts on rare Pokémon, such as "6 Pokémon for only ¥4000 ($25)".
Police investigations suggest that between December 2022 and March 2023, the individual may have accumulated significant earnings, amounting to millions of yen.
Legal Consequences of Selling Hacked Pokemon
Violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act carries severe penalties in Japan. Offenders may face imprisonment for up to 5 years, a fine of up to ¥5 million ($32,000), or both.
How the Industry Responds to Tampering Game Data
Formerly, the chief lawyer for The Pokémon Company emphasized that fan projects are more susceptible to takedown requests if they receive media attention or generate revenue. While not all fan-made games involve directly tampering with game data, the involvement of monetary transactions often escalates the likelihood of legal action, VGC reports.
In an interview with Aftermath, former Pokémon general counsel Don McGowan highlighted that while media coverage draws attention, it is only one aspect of the equation considered by The Pokémon Company.
"You wait to see if they get funded (for a Kickstarter or similar) - if they get funded then that's when you engage. No one likes suing fans," McGowan said.
It's been a long time since people debated about genned and hacked mons. Some people believe that there's no difference between the two since they are both products of cheating.
In a Reddit post written eight months ago, Redditors discussed about misunderstanding surrounding VGC disqualifications.
There's one player in the previous VGC who competed in the tournament who turned out to have a single genned mon. Instead of getting kicked out of VGC, he competed handicapped-with only five Pokemon. Other players have a whole lineup of genned mons.
Nintendo cracked this down through a new Hack check, a special tracker in Pkmn Home. Up to this day, no one can explain how they detect genned mons when traded to SV via Home. Despite of this challenge, The Pokemon Company assured that there will be a next-gen mainline game for fans. This will "keep Pokemon alive for hundreds of years."
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