Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony PSP)

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Hong Kong, August 8, 2005 - Lik-Sang.com, leading online retailer for videogame systems, games and cutting-edge gaming gear, was today informed that Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc commenced legal actions against Lik-Sang.com in the High Court of Hong Kong for selling PSP consoles.

Sony of Europe alleges that Lik-Sang.com has breached Sony's Trade Mark rights by offering the PlayStation Portable (PSP) for sale to customers in the UK, and seeks a court order that would prevent Lik-Sang.com from selling or offering systems, games and accessories to customers in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Sony further claims copyright infringement and damages by mirroring the freely available PSP manual on the news section of Lik-Sang.com during early June. Sony UK warned Lik-Sang.com at June 14 to take legal actions, should the manual and any hypertext links to Sony's web site not be removed. Lik-Sang.com complied with Sony's request to remove the manual immediately.

This lawsuit comes as a total surprise to Lik-Sang.com, given that the laws of Hong Kong are clear when it comes to parallel trade. Hong Kong's legislation is based on the fact that allowing parallel and free trade will restore natural competition and benefit consumers with lower prices. Hong Kong, one of the pioneering countries respecting worldwide exhaustion of trademark rights, allows free trade once an item entered the market for sale.

The company running Lik-Sang.com, Pacific Game Technology (Holding) Limited, is fully registered and operating in Hong Kong and has no ties with the UK. The company is currently looking into available options to combat Sony's cynical attempt to disrupt the successful online business again, gain total market control, and garner publicity.

"Lik-Sang's sales are an unlawful interference with Sony's economic interests", stated Sony's legal correspondence. The case relies on Sony's claim that Lik-Sang.com has advertised the PlayStation Portable products in a "dishonest manner". Lik-Sang.com will do its best to fight Sony's powers and appreciates any support from employees, friends and even customers.

"This is the most aggressive move against its own customers that a console manufacturer has ever taken in the 30 year history of videogames", says Pascal Clarysse, Marketing Manager for Lik-Sang.com. "Sony wants to completely cut hardcore gamers away from items released in Japan or anywhere else outside their own country. A very active part of the gaming community has been enjoying Japanese gaming culture for over two decades, and that's what the Empire is now willing to destroy."

Daily business is unaffected by this lawsuit. Customers in the UK and elsewhere don't have to worry about negative side effects or disruption of service. Shipping, Customer Support and Order Processing are fully operational and Lik-Sang.com remains open as usual. The sites news section will be updated as soon as the situation evolves.
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source link-Sang,

the amazing thing to me is this is a China company and they seem's more democratic and doing business the way it should be done (being a communist country) than you look how Sony is acting which is in Japan and america
 
ok... So they are in trouble for selling the PSP?
But.... I don't get why. They list them for sale on their website... they cannot help who buys them.

#2... if they are in trouble for selling the PSP abroad (and only abroad) .... what is up with Sony's comment:
"Lik-Sang's sales are an unlawful interference with Sony's economic interests", stated Sony's legal correspondence. The case relies on Sony's claim that Lik-Sang.com has advertised the PlayStation Portable products in a "dishonest manner".
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Man... I am not sure what to think.. I mean if Sony warned them not to sell the system outside a certain territory... I can understand, but how can you limit what you sell to customers?

This is confusing IMO.... but yet another reason why I think Sony sucks. They tend to pull too much stupid crap..... "IE canning the US version of Metal Slug 3 from us ps2.... and trying to derail 2D games from staying on the Ps2 in the US when their Japanese counterparts are able to have those type of games."

Bv :hat
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

I'm not totally up to date on this stuff, but Hong-kong belonged to either the UK or Portugal for a very long time. Maybe, as such, the rules are different there. It specifically says Hong-Kong, not China.
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

SpartanEvolved said:
I'm not totally up to date on this stuff, but Hong-kong belonged to either the UK or Portugal for a very long time. Maybe, as such, the rules are different there. It specifically says Hong-Kong, not China.
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But now it is China, and it did belong to the UK. As for this article I dont have much of an opinion since I dont know the different rules they have. But from just going by the article it looks like Sony is being a bully.
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

Yeah, Lik-Sang is just trying to help out the UK gamers, which haven't really experienced the PSP yet.
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

creepindeth04 said:
But now it is China, and it did belong to the UK. As for this article I dont have much of an opinion since I dont know the different rules they have. But from just going by the article it looks like Sony is being a bully.
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I hope it doesn't get to the point where we cannot sell Japanese games in the US... etc.
Granted, that is the extreme, but thats where this is headed..... by the looks of things. It may never reach that point... but lets just say its about 10 miles down the road.

BV :hat
 
I am willing to bet that it has little to do with selling the PSP in a certain area and more to do with price. Let's just say that a certain retailer sells an item at $250. Another retailer comes in ans sells them at $199. Now retailer A who sells them at $250 now has to drop the price to compete with retailer B. This is blatant bastardization of the product in question. Mainly because it creates a price war with the retailers. The manufacturers see it as a cheapning effect on their products. Most peple will assume a product is high quality because of a high price, and think less of a product if the price is lower.
Now I could be wrong, but I have seen the same scenario played out a few years ago with Costco and Michelin America Small Tire. Coscto was selling BFGoodrich tires at insanely low prices and MAST put a stop to it. We'll see for sure if Sony puts a "price lock" on their products...

BTW, my use of "bastardization" is based on it's definition!!!
 
Dart said:
I am willing to bet that it has little to do with selling the PSP in a certain area and more to do with price. Let's just say that a certain retailer sells an item at $250. Another retailer comes in ans sells them at $199. Now retailer A who sells them at $250 now has to drop the price to compete with retailer B. This is blatant bastardization of the product in question. Mainly because it creates a price war with the retailers. The manufacturers see it as a cheapning effect on their products. Most peple will assume a product is high quality because of a high price, and think less of a product if the price is lower.
Now I could be wrong, but I have seen the same scenario played out a few years ago with Costco and Michelin America Small Tire. Coscto was selling BFGoodrich tires at insanely low prices and MAST put a stop to it. We'll see for sure if Sony puts a "price lock" on their products...

BTW, my use of "bastardization" is based on it's definition!!!
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then why aren't TONS of powersellers getting in trouble on Ebay?

They are selling games BELOW what some of my suppliers can get them at.  I deal direct with Ignition.. there is a bit of price different dealing direct.... and I can tell you, some Ebay sellers are selling this product BELOW what I can buy it direct for.

It would be nice if more people got in trouble for that.... because it puts a hurt on business.... but I don't think thats it in Lik-sang's case.

BV :hat
 
Sorry about this analogy, but it's the only one I can think of. Going after ebay powersellers is a lot like handling a roach infestation with cowboy boots. You may smash a hundred, but there are thousands more to deal with.
Going after one bigger company is a scare tactic. Sony sues "Big Dealers, Inc" for price gouging, and the hundreds of "Little guy, Inc" sellers may get scared and adjust their prices, knowing that if Sony ever goes after them, then the doors close for good.
Is Sony wrong?? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how low the price goes and how it affects the overall reputation of the product. I do think they are wrong in that producers should stay out of the settings of retail prices. Let the retail outlets handle that.
One loophole will open up in a short while. Used. Maybe then Sony will relax.
 
Dart said:
Sorry about this analogy, but it's the only one I can think of. Going after ebay powersellers is a lot like handling a roach infestation with cowboy boots. You may smash a hundred, but there are thousands more to deal with.
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Thats awesome :lol I love that analogy :D


BV :hat
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

Dart said:
I am willing to bet that it has little to do with selling the PSP in a certain area and more to do with price. Let's just say that a certain retailer sells an item at $250. Another retailer comes in ans sells them at $199. Now retailer A who sells them at $250 now has to drop the price to compete with retailer B. This is blatant debase of the product in question. Mainly because it creates a price war with the retailers. The manufacturers see it as a cheapning effect on their products. Most peple will assume a product is high quality because of a high price, and think less of a product if the price is lower.
Now I could be wrong, but I have seen the same scenario played out a few years ago with Costco and Michelin America Small Tire. Coscto was selling BFGoodrich tires at insanely low prices and MAST put a stop to it. We'll see for sure if Sony puts a "price lock" on their products...

BTW, my use of "debase" is based on it's definition!!!
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That may be one reason, but I really doubt they would sell the PSP less than $250. Especially with it being in high demand. Not to mention the cost to export. So I dont think thats the case here. Great analogys though, dart.
 
Well Creepin' it's all in the numbers. You are right to say that it would be folly to sell the PSP at lower prices than the $250 norm.But what if they dropped the price and managed to sell more units by doing so?? They'll still be making money.
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

Dart said:
Well Creepin' it's all in the numbers. You are right to say that it would be folly to sell the PSP at lower prices than the $250 norm.But what if they dropped the price and managed to sell more units by doing so?? They'll still be making money.
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But they still need to charge to export. The company itself isnt going to pay for that. So they will add it to the total cost. I should look more into it.
 
Re: Lik-Sang.com taken to court by Sony for selling PlayStation Portable (Sony P

I'm sure Lik-Sang is deliberately doing this so they can lose money...it's business, they are getting a piece of the pie somehow.
 
Dart said:
Well Creepin' it's all in the numbers. You are right to say that it would be folly to sell the PSP at lower prices than the $250 norm.But what if they dropped the price and managed to sell more units by doing so?? They'll still be making money.
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Just to let you know the markup on systems.... it sucks.

IE $4-6.

Where does it state they are undercharging?


Bv :hat
 
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