An Italian YouTube content creator known as Francesco Salicini, who streams under the name Once Were Nerd, is currently facing criminal charges for his retro gaming console reviews. He claims that the police confiscated over 30 consoles from his studio based on the suspicions surrounding their legality.

In a video shared on July 14, Salicini described an unsettling encounter with the Guardia di Finanza, which led to a search warrant being executed at his mother’s home on April 15. He expressed his surprise at their seizure of his property, believing he was acting within the law by reviewing the consoles, some of which were sold with pre-loaded games.

Salicini stated that while he has always maintained that these consoles should only be used if one possesses the original copies of the games, he feels that his impartial reviews have been misrepresented as promotions of illegal products.

In the video, he noted, “While I’ve always insisted that these consoles can only be used if you have, as I do, the original copy of the game, and that they’re also available for sale on Amazon, eBay, and various other stores, I’ve never ‘sponsored’ them but rather ‘reviewed’ them with utmost objectivity, citing both the pros and cons.”

Faced with potential prison terms between six months and three years, Salicini has started a GoFundMe campaign to support his legal defense, fearing that stagnant laws trace back to 1941 are not serving him well. His channel, filled with over 220 videos, remains active despite police actions against his social media. He is determined to continue defending his position, highlighting the blurred lines of legality in the digital space.