[Another importer bites the dust](http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3901):
>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.
It’s sad to see importers go – but, I’m not going to be shedding too many tears here.
>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”.
This was Sony’s argument, and it was enough for the courts. Lik Sang, sadly, is determined to flame out:
>”Today is Sony Europe victory about PSP, tomorrow is Sony Europe’s ongoing pressure about PlayStation 3. With this precedent set, next week could already be the stage for complaints from Sony America about the same thing, or from other console manufacturers about other consoles to other regions, or even from any publisher about any specific software title to any country they don’t see fit. It’s the beginning of the end… of the World as we know it”, stated Pascal Clarysse, formerly known as the Marketing Manager of Lik-Sang.com.
I would like to re-emphasize: *beginning of the end of the World as we know it*. I don’t think I need to point out the ridiculousness of equating the “end of the World” to an import shop closing. There are still plenty of others open.
But it’s not just enough to pretend that this is the apocalypse; after all, Sony bashing is all the rage this fall:
>”Blame it on Sony. That’s the latest dark spot in their shameful track record as gaming industry leader. The Empire finally ‘won’, few dominating retailers from the UK probably will rejoice the news, but everybody else in the gaming world lost something today.”
Spare me the “shameful track record” nonsense, especially since it was obvious that they still wanted to profit off of selling Sony’s products.
Perhaps Lik-Sang has forgotten that [Nintendo also successfully sued them](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/06/19/nintendo_wins_liksang_piracy_case/) in 2003 for selling flash carts. Or that [Microsoft also successfully sued them](http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,2123307,00.htm) in 2002 for selling Xbox mod chips.
Lik-Sang has been on the shitlist of all three console makers for years.
**EDIT 1**: Ars [points out](http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061024-8061.html) that “It also didn’t help that Lik-Sang lacked representation at those hearings.” Mind-boggling. I certainly don’t agree with Sony suing importers, but if you’re going to get sued, you might want to send at least one lawyer.
EDIT 2: [Here’s the judgement](http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2006/2509.html); indeed, Lik-Sang did not appear.
EDIT 3: [Sony responds](http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=20564); they mention that not only did Lik-Sang not show up (thus, no legal costs), but they also have not yet paid the damages.