Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony

[classicb]

for selling PSP's to Europe. x_x

http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3666

can someone please tell me why Sony even cares.

[Yamazaki]

How about mass petitions against SOE?

I would sign and tell Sony to get the fuck lost if they wanna keep me as a customer. Sony has no right to decide what I am gonna buy where and when!!!!!!!!

[djbeatmongrel]

so sony is bitching about selling more products. give me a break. :roll:

[Flack]

How about mass petitions against SOE?

I would sign and tell Sony to get the fuck lost if they wanna keep me as a customer. Sony has no right to decide what I am gonna buy where and when!!!!!!!!

Um, yeah they do, especially if their item says "not for export."

I think it's just another reminder that gaming is no longer just a small blip on the radar anymore, and that the web is being policed.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Stupid thing is, it's perfectly legal to buy from a private seller on eBay.

And Sony don't give a toss that people will be purchasing games from abroad either (I swear they should have made it regional, and put in a lockout chip)


They basically don't want us English paying less for something and taking away a sale from SOE. We are clearly going to get ripped off with the price of the PSP when it does finally get launched, and Sony consider someone buying off Lik-Sang as taking away one sale...

If a hundred people do it, that's a lot of money Sony Europe will lose...


Think about it - An import PSP will cost someone in teh UK about £130, whereas when it gets released, it will retail at about £175... So that's around £45 per console that SOE will be losing, or rather, HAVE BEEN losing...


Serves them right in my opinion. Had they stuck to their release dates, then us Brits wouldn't have to import them.


But by rights, I should not technically own my red PS2, as Sony originally declined my transaction. I then had to get a freind in America to buy it on my behalf and ship it to me... It also says "Only for sale in Canada and North America" on the box...

[NESaholic]

Unbeleivable,man how stupid can they be,they sell and complain? O_O

[Mayhem]

Think about it - An import PSP will cost someone in the UK about £130, whereas when it gets released, it will retail at about £175... So that's around £45 per console that SOE will be losing, or rather, HAVE BEEN losing...

Actually the difference is mainly VAT and import duties that are not paid via this method, but that's why we look to import (and see if we can get away with it!).

Either way, yes it's a sale lost for SoE and as they "compete" with the other Sony branches, then they are doing their level best to prevent it from happening. Stupid gits.

If this import "embargo" isn't lifted after the PSP is launched in Europe then I'll be selling my PSP as there is no point in me waiting for overpriced UK game releases.

[davidbrit2]

I think the real problem they have with it is that the PSP only has region lockout for movies, not games. Judging by what they're doing here in the US, they only seem to really care about the movie sales. Thus if you import a PSP from another region, you won't be able to buy their crappy overpriced back catalog of old movies that will be on shelves.

[kevincure]

I'm not an expert on HK law, but I'm really interested to know on what grounds Sony is suing. There's a principle called "exhaustion" for TM and copyright goods - essentially, once the good has been sold once (say, wholesaler -> retailer), the copyright/trademark holder can't control the good anymore (so you can sell used books, for instance; it's not legal, in the US and most countries, to require something like "this book may not be resold").

There's also a free trade principle called parallel importation. This means you, for instance, buy an American product destined for sale in China, then reimport it back into America. I think it's a good thing, and it's generally legal, but not always (for instance, the whole Canada prescription drugs thing is a PI dispute).

The complaint about copyright infringement for reprinting the manual is also a grey area, at least under US law (which is fairly strict). I think reprinting/translating a product manual should be considered fair use by most courts.

Kev, your friendly local IP economist :-)

[njiska]

Sony has every right to go after Lik-Sang. But they fucking crazy to actually do it. Sony is just trying to make a statement to smaller importers by going after one of the greatest of them all. Whether Lik-Sang is at fault or not i don't know, but this doesn't make Sony look good. Their arrogance is over whelming.

[Richter Belmount]

man what a bunch of gaming nazis , 1st emulation on psp now this

[Mangar]

Um, yeah they do, especially if their item says "not for export."

Irrelevant, unless Lik-Sang was stupid enough to sign an agreement/contract with Sony specifically stating that they would not export units to Europe. If they didn't sign such an agreement however, then they are in the clear in Hong Kong or the United States. European law however, is such a clusterfuck of regulations and nonsense, that one can never know for sure. (But since they didn't bring the case up in Europe, this is also irrelevant)

As for the rest: It's just Sony's way of attempting to regain control of the global marketplace. I can't imagine that they will succeed with this particular case, but it makes a nice "test run" for them as they look to bring about the PS3 in three different regions in the near future. Even if they lose, they will have established case-law on the subject. All set in place for their major launch and real concern - The PS3.

[Muscelli]

I think the real problem they have with it is that the PSP only has region lockout for movies, not games. Judging by what they're doing here in the US, they only seem to really care about the movie sales. Thus if you import a PSP from another region, you won't be able to buy their crappy overpriced back catalog of old movies that will be on shelves.

I never thought of it like that.. thats probably the reason

[PapaStu]

I think the real problem they have with it is that the PSP only has region lockout for movies, not games. Judging by what they're doing here in the US, they only seem to really care about the movie sales. Thus if you import a PSP from another region, you won't be able to buy their crappy overpriced back catalog of old movies that will be on shelves.

I thought that they JUST added the lockout to the movies. The earlier systems were regionless thru and thru.

As far as I've been told (by a few Sony Reps) they are pushing the B list movies (and some smaller A listers) because they are trying to strong arm this media into retailers and if they can get it in and keep it in, then they are safer with the PSP especially if sales slump and the market doesnt bear alot of fruit in the game department. Unfortunately this is all that ive seen get released for the last month +. Hell Even Wal*Mart has gone and devoted 2 shelves (of 7) in the one inline VHS section to PSP titles (however most of them arnt being put on the floor due to them probably walking away).

[davidbrit2]

I'm fairly sure that it's always had region protection for movies and music, but not games. Some people have noticed that putting the little sampler disc in an out-of-region unit will still allow you to load the game section stuff, but the things that normally appear under video and music don't show up. But that would be interesting indeed if someone could prove me wrong and dig up all-region PSPs. He he.