Everyone with even the smallest morsel of knowledge about the video game industry knows who Nintendo are and what they do. Not only are they a sturdy, profitable root of the gaming industry's robust financial performance - the company has also been seen as an innovator, and as a result, is a much loved name in households worldwide.

Despite their staggering, diamond encrusted financial successes and absolute domination of sales charts - Nintendo is not immune issue of piracy, and the company is not choosing to ignore the issue either.

Nintendo of America today released a summary of a filing it submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative which outlines key regions where piracy of their products run rampant. Nintendo claim that the piracy "of its most popular products" has increased, and wants some countries to do more to stop it from happening. China, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Paraguay are each cited as major offenders by Nintendo.

Jodi Baughterty, Senior Director of Anti-Piracy at Nintendo of America noted that piracy through "game copiers" and "mod chips" lead to granting children ability to play "illegal" Nintendo software:

It is important for parents to note that if users of circumvention devices are children, they may be exposed to unsuitable content downloaded from the Internet and played on their Nintendo systems.

Of the problem regions cited by Nintendo, China was the first on the list, with the number of "online shopping sites in China selling infringing Nintendo products" increasing, with Chinese custom officials doing very little to stop the export of such products out of China.


Super Smash Bros. Brawl, One of Nintendo's best selling games
In Korea, Nintendo are concerned about the rate of piracy through the Internet of their software products, with customs raids seizing some "75,000" game copiers early in 2009. Nintendo praise the government's efforts, with many perpetrators of game piracy in the country to be held accountable by courts, "customs seizures" and other measures.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific, in Brazil, Nintendo indicate that despite Federal anti-piracy measures, "local enforcement efforts are weak", with attempts to prosecute distributors of pirated Nintendo products and software "virtually non-existent". With "no legal infrastructure", to respond to these issues, it seems that there is little Nintendo can do in the region, with "high tariffs and taxes" forming another barrier to the accessibility for bona-fide Nintendo products.

In Mexico, Nintendo assert that "anti piracy actions taken by the Mexican government in 2008 were wholly inadequate" - despite the nation's participation in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.


Wii Fit

In Europe, Spain is a battleground for Nintendo, with the "alarming" levels of availability in regards to both game-copying devices and illegal software. Nintendo would like to see the Spanish government create laws that protect "the creative copyright industry and enact laws against Internet piracy." Further a field in Europe, Nintendo believes that there is a lack of education in regards to the legality of acquiring illegal software in the European Union.

Finally, Nintendo boldly proclaim that in Paraguay, "Corruption continues to hamper anti-piracy efforts", where illegal products are imported, and produced within the borders of the country. The solution to this, the company claims, is that border control, increased penalties, along with revised criminal code will each assist in tackling the piracy issue in the country.

There is a great deal of debate in the video game industry regarding piracy, which is a major issue that developers and publishers alike must contend with in order to ensure their profitability.

While expensive DRM or hardware locks preventing the play of illegitimate software are often circumvented by many pirates - it would be good to see that the licensing fees paid by publishers to access these mechanisms could be contributed to the battle against piracy rather than ending up in corporate coffers that are already stuffed with more diamonds, and shiny, sparking gemstones than most could struggle to fathom.

Nonetheless, despite massive financial success, Nintendo's fight against piracy is just one of the many battles the video game industry faces in times of "economic crisis".