Nintendo: Piracy is an "endless battle"

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has acknowledged that tackling game piracy is an "endless battle", but has pledged to continue taking it seriously for the benefit of both its customers and other software companies.

"I recognise there is more software piracy, playing downloaded software data without purchase, than some years ago on many of the current platforms, including Nintendo DS," he told investors at a recent financial briefing.

Piracy has become more widespread in Europe than in the US, he said, especially in specific countries where piracy regulation is restricted by the law.

The way Nintendo plans to tackle the problem is by using technological and legal measures, he explained, adding that these "tend to become a cat and mouse chase".

"As the piracy itself is underground, someone somewhere finds out the solution to evade our measures. When we shut one hole of the mice, they have dug a new one somewhere else. We have acknowledged that this is an endless battle and we believe the best measure is to keep fighting it technologically and legally."