Accessory maker Genki settles lawsuit with Nintendo after showing off Switch 2 early
Genki has to pay an undisclosed theme and stop using Nintendo-like terms like Genki Direct
Accessory manufacturer Genki has settled a trademark infringement lawsuit with Nintendo, after it was accused of mishandling sensitive information.
Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the company earlier this year for showing off 3D-printed mock-ups of Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of Nintendo’s official announcement.
The suit accused Genki’s parent company Human Things of trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising, but has now been settled without any further need for a trial.
Genki will pay Nintendo for damages caused by its early leaks, but the exact amount has been agreed upon privately and hasn’t been disclosed.
Genki and all other subsidiaries of Human Things are also permanently banned from using any Nintendo logo or design or anything similar, using the terms Nintendo, Switch, Switch 2 or Joy-Con, and selling any accessories that don’t clearly state that Genki is an unlicensed accessory manufacturer.
It’s also banned from using the Glitch and Glitch 2 brand names for its accessories (because it’s too close to Switch), as well as naming its news announcements Genki Direct.
Genki is also now unable to use elements in its products or packaging which are similar to Nintendo’s core colour schemes, which are listed in the settlement as “red and white, red and blue, green and pink, blue and yellow, purple and orange, pink and yellow, and purple and green”.
The most notable Switch 2 incident involving Genki came during the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2025, when the company’s exhibition page stated that it was “happy to discuss any Switch 2 info we may have as well as the stuff we’re making for it”.
Shortly after this, Genki CEO Edward Tsai “personally showed off the 3D-printed mockups and stated to different reporters that Genki had or had access to an authentic “Switch 2,” on which Genki based the mockups, renderings, and 3D-printed mockups,” according to the suit.
In January it was claimed that lawyers representing Nintendo approached Genki on the CES showfloor, and it’s alleged that despite this encounter the company went on to display a video at CES showing off a render of the then-unannounced Nintendo Switch 2, which included Nintendo trademarks such as the Nintendo Switch 2 logo.
Nintendo’s lawsuit also referred to a post on X showing Genki CEO Edward Tsai and the caption “Genki ninjas infiltrate Nintendo Kyoto HQ.” Nintendo claims that it was “an apparent attempt to further confuse the public as to whether Genki had access to a Nintendo Switch 2 and/or an affiliation with Nintendo.”
