A recent arrest in Japan has shed light on the illicit trade of hacked Pokemon save data. A 36-year-old seller was apprehended for selling manipulated rare Pokemon save files for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, fetching prices as high as $90. The arrest, reported by NHK News and translated by Automaton Media, reveals that the seller had been offering hacked Pokemon save files from December 2022 to March 2023. These files reportedly contained rare Pokemon and were sold for approximately 13,000 Yen, equivalent to $90.
Japan police caught the seller in the act of selling these manipulated save files, with one instance involving six rare Pokemon being offered for $30. Following the arrest earlier this week, the defendant confessed to the crime, stating that they did it to make a living. The investigation continues as police suspect the potential earnings from the hacked Pokemon could be in the millions of Yen. Interestingly, Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act, established in 2019, makes hacking and editing save file data illegal. Offenders can face severe penalties, including up to five years in prison or a hefty fine exceeding five million Yen. This is a stark contrast to the reported earnings of the defendant.
While selling hacked save data is not illegal in regions like America and the UK, The Pokemon Company and Game Freak, the developers of the Pokemon games, strongly disapprove of such practices. The incident serves as a reminder of the consequences and legal ramifications associated with the manipulation and sale of hacked Pokemon within Japan’s strict legal framework.
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