[Lynk Former]

Lik-Sang.com Out of Business due to Multiple Sony Lawsuits

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.

Furthermore, Sony have failed to disclose to the London High Court that not only the world wide gaming community in more than 100 countries relied on Lik-Sang for their gaming needs, but also 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 14th of December 2004 (more than nine months earlier than the legal action). The list of PSP related Sony Europe orders reads like the who’s who of the videogames industry, and includes Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited), just to name a few.

“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.

“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.”

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

And people wonder why I don't like Sony...

[Laughing Man]

I saw this on Attack of the Show on G4 (those who dont know its a video game channel)

I still don't understand how Selling Import games is in violation of copyright laws so wouldnt import CDs be in the same boat? i understand the whole stealing off the internet and i agree that its stealing.
better go after J-list, Cdjapan.co and Hobbylinkjapan.com for selling imported stuff too Sony is pissing me off more and more
For example
I move out of the US to _________ and i take my gaming consoles with me, my PS2, and my 360 (it appears that the DS and PSP are region free when it comes to games) so I gotta buy new ones that are region appropriate?

Fuck you

I purchased a copy of FF VII AC when it was released in japan, actually it messed up my DVD drive in my computer (didn't mess up I was only able to change the regions a select amount of times before it got locked on region two) and the US gets screwed when it comes to consoles in general, we got fucked out of the white PSP, the awesome colors of the orignal xbox, all the cool limited versions of the PS2. everone else got cool shit, we got shit, we're the bastard redheaded stepchild of the gaming world

Correct me if I'm wrong, but quite some time ago I heard that the PS3 games were encoded to prevent renting or borrowing to friends/whatever is this still true or was it defunked?

[Chimasterwang]

Dont worry people will make probibly make mods eventually XD

[Laughing Man]

Dont worry people will make probibly make mods eventually XD

I know there are mods to correct the import problem (regions, AC Converters)
but its the principal , Sony is still getting their money from the initial sale and then someone else sells it and marks it up some to sell to out of market customers

[darktruth]

Actually, Sony isn't the only company who has sued Lik-Sang lol

Nintendo won one of its "most significant anti-piracy judgments ever" last month when the High Court of Hong Kong ruled against Lik Sang International Limited, a worldwide distributor of technology that could be used to back-up Game Boy Advance cartridges to a PC - but also to copy them.

Lik Sang sells Flash Linkers in addition to other games-related products. The company has been around since 1998. But Flash Linkers are controversial.

For those who use cartridge-based consoles, like Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, a Flash linker allows the user to back-up a cartridge to a computer - which is helpful if it is lost or damaged. But it is more commonly used for piracy. Flash linkers can also be used to copy games from a PC to blank Flash RAM cartridges for playing on a Game Boy Advance. Again, while this facilitates amateur games development, it also encourages piracy.

In practice, the technology that Lik Sang sold was being used to make Nintendo games available as free downloads from peer-to-peer networks like KaZaA. In 2002, Nintendo claims that, together with its publishers and developers, it suffered nearly $650 million in lost sales as a result of the illegal copying of Nintendo products.

The decision follows a lawsuit filed by Nintendo against Lik Sang last year. Nintendo was granted a seizure order on 17th September, 2002 by the High Court of Hong Kong. The court then gave Nintendo authority to confiscate all offending products and related business documentation that could lead to further lawsuits against offending manufacturers and distributors.

Nintendo obtained an injunction order against the worldwide assets of Lik Sang including a seizure of its bank accounts. Following the raid, Lik Sang International Limited ceased distribution of the products.

Nintendo announced yesterday that Judge William Waung in Hong Kong's High Court has ordered that an interim payment of HK$5 million (US$641,000) be made to Nintendo in addition to legal expenses. The final award of damages will be decided at a later hearing.

The basis of the court's ruling is a local copyright law preventing people from selling video game copying devices used to make illegal games.

Hong Kong copyright law is directed not at the person who made unlawful copy but the person who furnished the means to make the illegal copying occur. By analogy, "With drugs, it is not aimed at the drug addict but at the drug trafficker," noted Judge Waung. "I have no doubt that the reason they sell like hotcakes is because they delivered the means whereby a person would be able to steal the games of [Nintendo] housed inside the Game Boy cartridge of [Nintendo's] and then illegally put the stolen games into [Lik Sang's] Flash Card."

Lik Sang International Limited has yet to comment.

http://www.out-law.com/page-3659

[Lynk Former]

Nintendo was stopping Lik-sang for selling stuff that was used to pirate their products, Sony sued Lik-sang because they were importing/exporting games and hardware to other countries.

There is a big difference.

For example, what if I was a cop and I arrested you because you imported your Chobits CDs from Japan? Even though they are legitimate copies but unavailable in this country.

It's bullshit, that's what it is.

[darktruth]

The difference is that I'm not necessarily "importing" the cd since it's being sent as a gift by someone else who "bought" it for me but anyway this doesn't exempt Lik-Sang seeing how they're not a fully law-abiding company as shown from Nintendo's lawsuit, then again Hong Kong & China is plagued with the piracy issue so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

[Lynk Former]

The example I stated was based on reality but wasn't completely set in stone within reality. I simply used you and a purchase you have made as an example. But let's go by what you've just said... so you sent money to someone who then bought you something and sent it as a "gift" to you... so then that person who sent you that "gift" will be the one to get arrested. It's still bullshit either way you look at it.

As for the Nintendo thing, Lik-sang did get caught out, but that was quite some time ago in a time when Lik-sang did do shady things. Over the years they have changed quite a bit though, basically they learnt their lesson.

Just cause a few of us have maybe downloaded a few mp3s in our time doesn't mean we're outlaws for life.

[darktruth]

The example I stated was based on reality but wasn't completely set in stone within reality. I simply used you and a purchase you have made as an example. But let's go by what you've just said... so you sent money to someone who then bought you something and sent it as a "gift" to you... so then that person who sent you that "gift" will be the one to get arrested. It's still bullshit either way you look at it.

Ahh but there's a loophole to that. The one that "bought" the item for me got it via their partner company that is actually living in Japan with full residency and paid for it before also sending it as a gift to the sender, not to also mention it's usually from auctions than online stores where it's up to the sellers choice of shipping internationally or not. I suspect the reason why Sony sued Lik-Sang might possibly be...no definitely for money as it would seem cheaper to import the PSP from Asia thus Sony Europe losing large amounts of money.

It's quite funny actually seeing how Sony would sue for some of lamest reasons just because Europeans are able import PSP's from Asia, that and many other various lawsuits from other companies regarding video games. The gaming industry today is filled a lot with competition, lawsuits, fanboyism (lol XD) for trying to prove which console is the best and trying to talk down others and making them look bad. It seems like it's been overrun with greedy corporations for money now. I wish it was somewhat back in the mid-90's when game consoles were used just for fun and to actually enjoy playing games rather than all this shit going on nowadays, hence why I've lost so much interest in game consoles.

[Lynk Former]

Actually recent videogame lawsuits are all against Sony and Sony going after others... then there's the odd Nintendo lawsuit against those who pirate their products. Nintendo used to be as bad as Sony back in the day they ruled the console realm but they've really mellowed out and only go after those who try to rip off their games and such. I haven't heard of Nintendo doing anything in recent years though...

...but enough of that, the biggest irony of this all is the fact that the PS3 and PSP are both REGION FREE. WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT THEN WHEN SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPENS?!

[darktruth]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=18788

Texas firm Anascape has filed suit against Microsoft and Nintendo, alleging that the two companies infringed on patents relating to videogame hardware and controller technology.

The suit names patents for a "Game controller with analog pressure sensor(s)" and a "Remote controller with analog button", plus a "3D controller with vibration", amongst others. The 12 patents were obtained by Californian Brad Armstrong between 1999 and 2005, though he began filing them in 1996.

Anascape claims that Microsoft and Nintendo's infringement of the patents was "willful and deliberate, entitling Anascape to enhanced damages." The company is seeking a jury trial to settle the dispute and, failing a permanent injunction, an ongoing compulsory licensing fee.

Sony has not been named in the suit, for reasons which have not been revealed - but perhaps relate to the company's ongoing legal battle with Immersion Corp over force feedback technology.

Microsoft and Nintendo have yet to offer comment on the lawsuit.

Yet another lawsuit within the past two months lol but this time it's against Microsoft and Nintendo lol. This case however seems pretty suss after a few research on the so called company named "Anascape". Seems like companies are suing every game companies nowadays just for money.

[Lynk Former]

Already heard this one and it's already proven to be bogus bullshit. Besides, the L and R analog buttons on the GCN controller and the ones on the Xbox controller are completely different from each other.