Retro Gaming Handheld Reviewer Faces Possible Jail Time Over Copyright

Italian retro-gaming YouTuber Francesco Salicini of Once Were Nerd fame is facing serious legal trouble after authorities from the Guardia di Finanza raided his home and seized over 30 handheld gaming consoles, including particularly popular Anbernic devices loaded with emulated ROMs. The raid had occurred on April 15, Salicini's personal phone was only returned two months later, and he now has been notified that he could face up to three years in prison and a $17,400 fine under Italian copyright law 

Prosecutors allege Salicini’s videos, in which he reviews Android‑based handhelds that come pre-loaded with NES, SNES, PlayStation, and other ROMs, violated this provision. While emulation itself isn’t illegal, the offering of copyrighted games bundled with these devices is the root of the case.