Retro Reviewer Faces Potential 3-Year Jail Term for Copyright Issues as Italian Authorities Probe Anbernic Console Promotion

Sure thing, let me dive into that weird mix of gaming drama and legal stuff. So, there’s this guy Francesco Salicini, you might’ve heard of him if you dig into YouTube and gaming — he runs this channel called Once Were Nerd. Well, he’s in a bit of hot water lately. Italian authorities are poking around, thinking he’s up to no good with this whole piracy thing. Seriously, his “crime”? Apparently, just talking about these retro Anbernic gaming consoles that play old games — think Nintendo and Sony classics — but here’s the catch: they sometimes come pre-loaded with a bunch of those games. And, well, that’s a big no-no in the eyes of the law.

Here’s the thing though, Salicini swears he’s just reviewing the gear, like, he’s not on anyone’s payroll, no affiliate links, nada. Which, if true, kind of puts a twist in this whole situation. Anyway — sorry, I’m jumping around – Italian cops, the Guardia di Finanza, are on his case. They’ve snagged over 30 consoles, not just the Anbernic ones, mind you—some TrimUI and Powkiddy stuff too. Oh, and they’ve got his phone. Imagine having all your chats with these console companies out in the open. Yikes.

Now, these investigations, they’re not a quick flash. We’re talking six months, give or take. And then, the powers that be will decide if this thing moves forward or fizzles out. Meanwhile, Salicini’s hanging in the balance. His channels might bite the dust before we even know if he’s actually in trouble. Talk about a waiting game with the stakes way up high.

Here’s the wild part: everyone’s wondering if Nintendo’s behind this. They don’t mess around with protecting their stuff. Like, they’ve gone after YouTubers left, right, and center. Emulators, you know, those programs that let you run old games on new stuff? They freak Nintendo out. They’ve even pulled the plug on thousands of emulator repositories on sites like GitHub.

But here’s where it gets sticky — and kind of philosophical — about keeping old games alive. Game studios are all about control. And hey, I get it, they made the games. But as time ticks on, those old consoles just don’t hold up. Emulators might be the only way left to keep these classics kicking. It’s a real tug-of-war between keeping control and letting history play itself out.

So where does that leave our guy Salicini? I guess we just have to stay tuned and see how it all unfolds. Life’s a bit like those old-school video games sometimes — unpredictable and a little pixelated.