SquareEnix recently issued an announcement stating that several people in my country have been criminally charged for manufacturing and distributing the company's counterfeit peripheral products. The company mentioned a case that occurred in Guangdong Province in May 2023. The announcement read: "The raid was conducted in May 2023 after complaints from multiple companies in Japan and China, targeting 6 dealers and 3 manufacturers in Guangdong Province, China." During the raid, the police seized counterfeit products of the company's IP "Final Fantasy" and "NieR: Automata".
SquareEnix initially filed the request "based on information gathered through an independent investigation," in addition to "extraordinary cooperation with investigative firms and industry peers."
The company also made it clear that "counterfeit products that illegally copy the character designs in our games and publications are being produced around the world" and that the pirated peripherals seized this time are "sold through major distribution networks in China, Japan, and European and American countries."
The purpose of their announcement is to express their determination to resolutely protect the company's intellectual property rights. The announcement concluded: "We will continue to focus on protecting intellectual property rights, integrating better domestic products and services, maintaining and improving our brand image, and will continue to remind our customers and dealers of the existence of counterfeit products and crack down on infringements. We will take severe actions."