YouTuber, Once Were Nerd, is in hot water with Italian authorities over videos reviewing third-party handheld gaming devices. In a July 14, 2025, video, he explained what happened and the penalties he could face.
The Third-Party Handhelds
The devices reviewed by Once Were Nerd were Anbernic third-party handhelds that were made in China and ran an older Android version that had been modified for video games. The devices are sold worldwide through sites like Amazon and have an affordable price tag. They can be popular because of the emulation support for retro console games from systems like SNES, PlayStation Portable, and others.
It isn’t the third-party handhelds themselves that are the problem. It’s the game ROMs on the devices. Though they aren’t advertised as containing the games, many of these third-party handhelds include a large number of games. So, when reviewing the handhelds, the pirated copies of games from companies like Nintendo and Sony are what caused the situation Once Were Nerd is currently in.
What Happened?
Video of Denunciato courtesy of Once Were Nerd
In his video (it has an English dub track), Once Were Nerd explained how, in April, members of the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, went to his home and his mother’s home. They had the document showing the charges, and he cooperated with them because he didn’t think he had done anything wrong regarding the third-party handhelds. They confiscated about 30 consoles, copies of his social media, correspondence (emails) with the folks he acquired the devices from, and even his cell phone.
At this time, he is working with a lawyer, and the case is still in the investigation phase. He doesn’t know who reported him yet. That would be revealed after the investigation is over, if the case progresses. If convicted under Italy’s Article 171 copyright law, he faces a fine and incarceration of 6 months to 3 years. In the meantime, they could require the suspension of all of his social media, including his YouTube channel.
Support is Pouring In
Once Were Nerd has over 50 thousand subscribers, and they’re showing how much they care. It seems that some folks had already begun to donate money to help with his defense, which led the creator to set up a GoFundMe where donations have reached 8037 € so far. In the comments of the YouTube video, he also stated he would keep followers informed of what’s happening through the GoFundMe, in case his social media is shut down.
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