ESA flags retro console maker Anbernic for inclusion on US government's Notorious Market List Trade body claims Anbernic "normalises hardware-based piracy by delivering illicit catalogues through a polished consumer product" The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has recommended that retro console maker Anbernic be added to the US government's Notorious Market List. The Notorious Market List is an annual report published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which identifies online and physical markets "that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy." Anbernic, based in China, manufactures handheld devices that emulate retro gaming systems from platform holders including Nintendo, PlayStation, and Sega. Last year, Anbernic suspended shipments to the US following the implementation of tariffs. Commercial marketplace G2A is mentioned under the "unauthorised digital goods marketplaces" subheading, with the ESA noting that "G2A previously represented that it did not permit sales of in-game accounts or items, but the marketplace facilitates account and digital item sales at scale." To address these issues, the ESA has asked the USTR to set out seven steps for governments and market operators to take, which include: - Treat preloaded unauthorised game libraries as core evidence of commercial-scale piracy - Inspect bundled and separately shipped storage media - Require sellers to substantiate authorisation for included games and protected branding - Suspend repeat sellers and linked storefronts, not merely individual listings - Preserve seller, payment, shipment, and advertising records for enforcement - Improve customs targeting for devices and components associated with preloading operations - Coordinate action against manufacturers, exporters, importers, fulfilment providers, and online marketplaces that knowingly facilitate these products
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GamesIndustry.biz