重點資訊
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has formally requested that the United States government take action against retro gaming consoles sold with thousands of preinstalled pirated titles. This petition, submitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, aims to include these devices in the annual list of notorious markets known for distributing counterfeit goods.
The industry group argues that these devices, which often mimic classic hardware designs, function similarly to luxury counterfeits. By providing immediate access to massive game libraries without authorization, these consoles bypass the need for technical expertise, such as configuring emulators or sourcing ROMs, thereby undermining official sales of remasters, subscriptions, and classic collections.
Anbernic is explicitly named by the ESA as a primary manufacturer of concern. The organization alleges that the company's portable devices are frequently sold with memory cards containing extensive collections of copyrighted software. Consequently, the ESA is pushing for stricter customs controls, thorough inspections of memory storage, and increased cooperation from e-commerce platforms to curb these sales.
It is important to note that this remains a proposal rather than a government mandate. The controversy centers specifically on the distribution of unlicensed software rather than the technology of emulation itself. Because some devices are sold without preinstalled games, the final impact on manufacturers remains uncertain as the government evaluates these recommendations.
