Lik-Sang.com out of business due to multiple Sony lawsuits

[Aazealh]

http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3901

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OUT OF BUSINESS NOTICE

Hong Kong, October 24th of 2006 - Lik-Sang.com, the popular gaming retailer from Hong Kong, has today announced that it is forced to close down due to multiple legal actions brought against it by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful.

As of today, Lik-Sang.com will not be in the position to accept any new orders and will cancel and refund all existing orders that have already been placed. Furthermore, Lik-Sang is working closely with banks and PayPal to refund any store credits held by the company, and the customer support department is taking care of any open transactions such as pending RMAs or repairs and shipping related matters. The staff of Lik-Sang will make sure that nobody will get hurt in the crossfire of this ordeal.

A Sony spokesperson declined to comment directly on the lawsuit against Lik-Sang, but recently went on to tell Gamesindustry.biz that "ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards, due to voltage supply differences et cetera; is not - in PS3's case - backwards compatible with either PS1 or PS2 software; will not play European Blu-Ray movies or DVDs; and will not be covered by warranty".

Lik Sang strongly disagrees with Sony's opinion that their customers need this kind of protection and pointed out that PSP consoles shipped from Lik-Sang contained genuine Sony 100V-240V AC Adapters that carry CE and other safety marks and are compatible world wide. All PSP consoles were in conformity with all EU and UK consumer safety regulations.

Sony's so nice, they're doing this to protect the poor European customers against products that aren't adapted to their regions. They had already managed to get Play-Asia to stop selling import Sony products (most notably PSP) to Europeans, but it's more serious for Lik-Sang it seems. Of course this is all done with the PS3 in mind, so that Europeans cannot import it before its official release in their countries.

What to say... These guys are dipshits. I'm not sure whether they're purposedly trying to get everybody to hate them or not, but if so it's a success.

 

[vlad]

These Sony mo-fos are just unbelievable, according to the BBC PS3 will be released in Europe in march 07. They go on to claim that Europe is the second-largest games market, so they are just shooting themselves in the foot really. And this "no import" policy is just perplexing, I fail to see the point.

 

[Aazealh]

according to the BBC PS3 will be released in Europe in march 07.

Yeah, but nobody really believes it. A lot of people think it'll end up being September '07.

And this "no import" policy is just perplexing, I fail to see the point.

It's most amusing when you consider that they advertise the fact the console supposedly doesn't have zone restrictions (of course not applying to PS1 and PS2 games). So you can supposedly play imported games, but you can't import games because Sony is suing every company doing it.

 

[CnC]

I can't say I'm big on importing things (don't do it all that often).

While I think its within Sony's rights to regulate where their product is sold or what restrictions are put in place in the distrubution of their product, when they actually do something like this just makes them look like a bunch of dicks.

When you actively shut down a reseller (any reseller, not just one who bases their business on the import/export trade) by burying them in lawsuits or by other similar means you're acting like a monopoly.

They just better hope their product is worth it. I'm pretty sure that if the PS3 is anything but a smash success it could spell doom for the company unless dramatic shifting occurs.

 

[Aazealh]

While I think its within Sony's rights to regulate where their product is sold or what restrictions are put in place in the distrubution of their product, when they actually do something like this just makes them look like a bunch of dicks.

Sure, it's within their rights. But that also means that none of us should have played the Berserk PS2 game (for example), going by this newfound logic. It's a Japanese-only game, and that's the end of it. Now, you need to take into account the fact that a lot of games don't come out in Europe. Japanese games but also US ones. And not minor titles either. Those that do come out can take a year to do so, too. Importing has often been the only way to play these games while actually paying for them in the past (since nobody deemed it necessary to localize them), and this is especially true for handheld games (since this story relates to the PSP) that don't have zone restrictions. Why do you think there's no zoning anyway? Honestly I find their move pretty stupid, on every account. Whatever they might gain from this, it's not worth what they're losing.

I'm pretty sure that if the PS3 is anything but a smash success it could spell doom for the company unless dramatic shifting occurs.

Well, you can be sure people over here won't be shedding tears if this happens.

 

[CnC]

Sure, it's within their rights. But that also means that none of us should have played the Berserk PS2 game (for example), going by this newfound logic. It's a Japanese-only game, and that's the end of it. Now, you need to take into account the fact that a lot of games don't come out in Europe. Japanese games but also US ones. And not minor titles either. Those that do come out can take a year to do so, too. Importing has often been the only way to play these games while actually paying for them in the past (since nobody deemed it necessary to localize them), and this is especially true for handheld games (since this story relates to the PSP) that don't have zone restrictions. Why do you think there's no zoning anyway? Honestly I find their move pretty stupid, on every account.

Right. Well that was my point. They CAN do it, but it doesn't mean they SHOULD do it.

 

[TheSkyTraveller]

Wow. That really sucks. I import Japanese games and R2 DVDs from time to time and would really hate to see this becoming a trend anywhere.

 

[Walter]

Lik-sang was one of those nuclear bomb lawsuits just waiting to happen. I'm suprised they stayed afloat as long as they did.

Now where am I supposed to buy my generic brand PS2 to USB controller adapters?

 

[handsome rakshas]

Wow.  That really sucks.  I import Japanese games and R2 DVDs from time to time and would really hate to see this becoming a trend anywhere.

Sheesh, tell me about it. Well, that about narrows it down for me to be exclusively Play Asia from now on. I hope nobody gets them shut down,I love that place. And I know in my heart that the big "N" would never do this to us. If only they would have left the Wii region free. 
Thanks for the (sad) news Aaz.

 

[Aazealh]

Lik-sang was one of those nuclear bomb lawsuits just waiting to happen. I'm suprised they stayed afloat as long as they did.

Just like every import shop carrying Sony products?

 

[Walter]

Just like every import shop carrying Sony products?

Well, from my experience, lik-sang had the lion's share of the online import market. Everyone had recommended it for several years over places like, say, playasia.com.

And as we all know, in lawsuits of this nature, corporations don't hound individuals like Joe Schmoe Pirate, they go after companies they can legitimately sue for big bucks.

 

[Aazealh]

It was a popular shop, especially in recent years, but I'm not sure they really were that big compared to others. An indication is that Play-Asia isn't going out of business, and apparently they went through the same lawsuits. They're just refusing to ship Sony products to European countries now. And what about all the other import shops, like NCSX or yesasia.com? These aren't small shops, and they're pretty popular too.

I think it was an arbitrary move honestly, and not a very smartly planned one.

 

[Walter]

It was a popular shop, especially in recent years, but I'm not sure they really were that big compared to others. An indication is that Play-Asia isn't going out of business, and apparently they went through the same lawsuits. They're just refusing to ship Sony products to European countries now. And what about all the other import shops, like NCSX or yesasia.com?

Well, maybe Playasia reached some kind of settlement with SONY that Lik-sang was either unwilling or unable to agree to? There's often no telling with some of these lawsuits.

Regardless, as you initially stressed, the only one that's hurt here is SONY's reputation, not the online import market.

 

[Billybob]

I love the guys over at Sony. They always know how to screw everyone real good. Whether it's a copy protection on a cd that's actually a virus, or sueing legitamate retailers into oblivion just because they can. Well, one more reason to add onto the big ol list of why not to buy Sony products.

 

[Aazealh]

Well, maybe Playasia reached some kind of settlement with SONY that Lik-sang was either unwilling or unable to agree to? There's often no telling with some of these lawsuits.

Apparently it's the sheer cost of the multiple lawsuits (hiring foreign lawyers, etc) that got to them, their company was too small and didn't have the financial resources to be able to endure it. At least that's what they're saying on their website. It doesn't really matter anyway, from Sony's viewpoint someone else will take their place and that won't change anything. Who knows, the Lik-sang guys themselves could just get another shop rolling 2 months later.

I'm more interested than ever in how the PS3 will fare over here.

 

[Walter]

Apparently it's the sheer cost of the multiple lawsuits (hiring foreign lawyers, etc) that got to them, their company was too small and didn't have the financial resources to be able to endure it.

Watch out for the giant, enemy, pirate crab.
Sue its weakpoint of copyright infringement for massive, financial damage!

​

I'm more interested than ever in how the PS3 will fare over here.

From what I saw at E3, SONY is banking on the HUGE SUCCESS of the european market's karaoke cravings. Didn't exactly look convincing from what I saw but. I'm sure they know what they're doing

 

[vlad]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6083856.stm

"Sony Europe's very own top directors repeatedly got their Sony PSP hard or software imports in nicely packed Lik-Sang parcels with free Lik-Sang mugs or Lik-Sang badge holders, starting just two days after Japan's official release, as early as 14 December 2004," the notice on its website reads.

In a statement to the BBC News website, Sony said the accusations were a case of "sour grapes" and accused Lik-Sang of contravening data protection laws by naming directors.

"The purchasing of PSP consoles by SCE employees would be for investigatory purposes. We would also like to express our surprise at a company releasing personal information about its consumers," the statement read.

"This release is sour grapes on behalf of Lik-Sang which is aimed to belittle Sony Computer Entertainment and the British judicial system that found against them," it read.

Sure they were just testing to see if the things would explode...

Sony denies that its actions had anything to do with the closure of the Lik-Sang website.

How about this for Causality

 

[Zelz]

Wow, that is just complete BS, well there goes any chance of me buying a Sony product again.