Lik-Sang responds to Sony's "sour grapes" jibe

[wraggster]

Via Gamesindustry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=20581)

Lik-Sang has continued its war of words with Sony over lawsuits which the Hong Kong retailer cites as responsible for its closure, arguing that a number of the PlayStation company's statements in court and since have been misleading or contradictory.

Marketing manager Pascal Clarysse, who has since left Lik-Sang, said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz that the retailer "spent over a year to vigorously contest the UK court's jurisdiction", despite Sony's claim earlier this week that the retailer made no representations.

He also disputes Sony's claim that employees who allegedly purchased import PlayStation Portable consoles from Lik-Sang as early as December 2004 were doing so for "investigatory purposes", as Sony argued on Tuesday.

"Oddly enough, all investigatory orders that were revealed by Sony to the High Court in London and to the High Court in Hong Kong started much later than the purchases placed by [Sony employees]," Clarysse says.

"Further to this, Sony Europe's own Legal and Business Affairs Manager signed a witness statement in the High Court of London that says that Sony Europe 'became aware' of parallel imported PSP consoles in the UK and in the rest of Europe only in March 2005, and the same witness statement presents a trainee solicitor from Sony's lawyers as the one placing such investigatory orders during May 2005."

With Lik-Sang now out of business, the situation looks bleak for other importers of foreign hardware, but, says Clarysse, it is the human cost that's being felt most now that the dust is settling on this episode. "Unfortunately for Lik-Sang, the current situation is neither a joke, nor a game: A bunch of people, including two highly pregnant women, have lost their basis for existence because of corporate lawsuits for something that is not only regarded as lawful in Hong Kong, it is considered to be beneficial for consumers (free trade)."

Sony declined to comment on Lik-Sang's statement.

Id love the UK Government to step in and stick up for the public and give us our free rights to buy from anywhere in the world.

[JKKDARK]

Damn Sony :mad:

[BL4Z3D247]

$ony is full of bologna, the ps what? pshh

[I heart Nintendo]

I hear ya Wraggster!! Sony are just throwing their weight around. I guess because Microsoft and Nintendo be kicking they asses right now, they thought they'd take it out on Lik-Sang. *lol*

I just love how bitchy Lik-Sang are being about it. *lol* And why not! Nothing to lose huh!!

I hope Lik-Sang find a way to (somehow) make it back into business - 'cos that is a shame.

Click to read my take on the whole Lik-Sang & Sony deal (http://i-am-random-j.blogspot.com/2006/10/lik-sang-closed-down.html)

[Shrygue]

Sony can get screwed. Everyone should have the right to import a PSP if they want to and not have the big bad company say you can't.

[Tron_Fan]

How can you be "Highly Pregnant"?

[iniquitous_beast]

I wish I knew how to get a transcript of the court hearings. I still don't understand how Sony could claim financial damages from Lik-Sang. Given enough time to read through the hearings, I bet these forums would find enough material to argue over for the next three months.

[iniquitous_beast]

How can you be "Highly Pregnant"?


The same way that you can be "a little pregnant". Most likely, they meant that these women were very close to the point of giving birth. You know, the point when any merciful boss would give them a few weeks of maternity leave.

[crypysmoker]

And once again I say Piss off sony..
your greedy, arrogant and downright power hungry..

All that is goign to happen is you will start loosing a fan base... the ps3 will be a piece of garbage... recalls will go out and there is sony out more billions of dollars.
Seriously, I think sony is heading for a huge brick wall int he next 5-10 years

[808]

I loved how they included the story of the "highly pregnant" women. Blatent attempt to gain sympathy.

[The Hombrew Hunter]

You're irritating...

Crypy, you speak the truth!

[splodger15]

Bloody sony :(

[F9zDark]

I loved how they included the story of the "highly pregnant" women. Blatent attempt to gain sympathy.

Can we just ban this troll? 51 posts of mindless trollery and purposeful baiting of other users. He has yet to make a single post that offers anything intelligent and has even an ounce of truth.

Just ban his sorry ass, it is people like him that are turning this community into shit.

[808]

Can we just ban this troll? 51 posts of mindless trollery and purposeful baiting of other users. He has yet to make a single post that offers anything intelligent and has even an ounce of truth.

Just ban his sorry ass, it is people like him that are turning this community into shit.

Sorry for having a different opinion to the majority! I guess I'll just conform and complain about Sony like the rest of the internet.

I sure do love being victimised! Keep it coming :)

[F9zDark]

Having a different opinion is fine; however presenting your opinion in a way that belittles, undermines or otherwise diminishes another person's opinion or ideal is WRONG. And thats all you do.

The fact that you hold your opinions even after research has proven them wrong, leads little credence to what you believe anyway, which negates any reason for you to debate your stance, as well as negates anything USEFUL you may have to say.

[fatdad]

the uk goverment is a joke

[.:}<3\/!}\{:.]

LOL! "highly pregnant" :)

[Tron_Fan]

The women "losing the basis of their existence" was also interesting wording.

I can commiserate though. I felt the same way when Arrested Development was cancelled.

:)

[Wally]

I still don't understand how Sony could claim financial damages from Lik-Sang. Given enough time to read through the hearings, I bet these forums would find enough material to argue over for the next three months.

Thats a very interesting statement you have made there. I wonder if sony remembered they are under oath and maybe they were blaming everyone else but themselves for crappy batteries or whatever. Would be awesome to see the court scripts

People don't start this "I Hate Sony" business. Its not the entire Sony industry against lik-sang, its more likely just "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe" or the likes.. The whole other part of sony is still good, as they do make computer screens, computer chips, even ram, televisions, Cd players, hifi systems, DVD players w/e. This doesnt mean "OMFG we shouldn't buy sony products if SCEE is corrupt", the other parts of sony are still worthy to many people.

Think what would happen if we lost sony. Many companies would suffer as many companies use their chipsets (Im pretty sure if you open a computer / xbox, whatever there will be a sony chip somewhere) which means half of the worlds TV's would have to be recalled. Nintendo probably even use sony chips. Just remember that folks, if you buy a tv, LCD screen, projector, console, dvd player, computer you are still buying a sony product somewhere!

AFAIK Sony Computer Entertainment are culling themselves. Let them go!




There is a lot of good sony does but a lot of bad

[Adrenalin]

I loved how they included the story of the "highly pregnant" women. Blatent attempt to gain sympathy.

i agree. BUT THEY DESERVE ALOT OF SYMPATHY!

[the_eternal_dark]

And once again I say Piss off sony..
your greedy, arrogant and downright power hungry..

All that is goign to happen is you will start loosing a fan base... the ps3 will be a piece of garbage... recalls will go out and there is sony out more billions of dollars.
Seriously, I think sony is heading for a huge brick wall int he next 5-10 years

So true.. There is a way to not hand them our money, buy used. This is going to be funny; I'll still be laughing with my Wii, Xbox360, and 1.5 psp when the PS3 fails big time, and laugh even harder when they try to make it slimmer than the original and still fails.


the uk goverment is a joke

So is the US government.

[I heart Nintendo]

Ditto.

I don't think the PS3 will tank completely. If sales aren't brilliant at launch, then they will rise with the releases of Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13 - which are the only 2 games on the console I'm interested in, along with many others out there (some-what) interested in the console.

If most gamers wanting a PS3 for these games are smart - they'll forget the PS3 at launch, because they'll just have it sitting gathering dust until the good titles come out, which won't be for a good year at least!

I don't think Sony will bomb with the PS3 (for many - that's wishful thinking). But I do think they will lose alot of money and they won't dominate they way they did with the PS2.

If Nintendo and Microsoft continue to go as strong as they have over the past few months, then Sony will be in trouble and no major IP is gonna fix it all for them.

[F9zDark]

Well PS3-PSP connectivity is one feature I am mainly interested in and I had decided to wait until March or later to get one, but I am beginning to think twice.

If I don't get a PS3 then I wont be getting anything. I don't support Microsoft and I haven't supported Nintendo since the days of N64.

[the_eternal_dark]

Well PS3-PSP connectivity is one feature I am mainly interested in and I had decided to wait until March or later to get one, but I am beginning to think twice.

If I don't get a PS3 then I wont be getting anything. I don't support Microsoft and I haven't supported Nintendo since the days of N64.

I agree with the PS3-PSP connectivity, that's pretty pimp. I would wait until prices are reasonable to buy one though, still too much bank for something that is questionable already.

Still, that was pretty cold what Sony did to Lik-Sang. Sony was still making money off of those sales (aside from the fact they couldn't play the region locked movies with their brand new imported psp's). Maybe that's why Sony got so twisted over this, no one would be able to buy movies in their country and play them on the PSP. That, though, is Sony's fault to begin with. By region free, hold up to it and go all the way or not at all.

[The Hombrew Hunter]

I'm tired of Final Fantasy..

Wasn't the concept of the game the FIRST AND FINAL FANTASY?!

Metal Gear Solid has never been a winner with me. Stealth is a no-no compared to flying in the stars in an Arwing, AKA Star Fox. I just hope Star Fox Wii doesn't suck like Command...

[F9zDark]

I agree with the PS3-PSP connectivity, that's pretty pimp. I would wait until prices are reasonable to buy one though, still too much bank for something that is questionable already.

Still, that was pretty cold what Sony did to Lik-Sang. Sony was still making money off of those sales (aside from the fact they couldn't play the region locked movies with their brand new imported psp's). Maybe that's why Sony got so twisted over this, no one would be able to buy movies in their country and play them on the PSP. That, though, is Sony's fault to begin with. By region free, hold up to it and go all the way or not at all.

I had thought UMDs were a dead issue by now. I really think it was to set the precedent for the PS3, to protect their european market. As some from over there have said, PS3s in the UK will be around 425-500 GBP, which is between 800-950 USD; substantially marked up from what we'd pay here or what they'd pay for importing...

And I couldn't agree more with region free... I wish they'd just drop the whole region crap anyway.

[GobboFett]

I had a mate in High School who said the name of the PSX should have been changed to the "Foney Vegstation", maybe I should have beleived him...

[jwilds73]

Sony's attitude in general and it's treatment of Lik-Sang who has only helped sell more of their products is disgusting. Look at their track record as of late Rootkit's, stealing rumble technology and now bullying Lik-Sang to the point they had to close shop. So free trade doesnt exist in Europe? You now will only be allowed to purchase your Sony hardware and software through retailers of Sony's choice? How a judge could approve such a ruling is beyond me. Corporate kickbacks I guess.

[homebrew1973]

Now that Sony have got away with this, what`s to stop them threatening to sue retailers that sell their games second-hand? And that`s just for starters.....

Region-free consoles? No doubt Datel will come to the rescue with their Free Loader product :)

I can honestly see more and more people being more and more determined to crack every single one of the PS3`s copy protections, especially Blu-Ray`s which would essentially mean a full Blu-Ray movie could be DivX`d onto a single DVD with almost the same quality....

As far as asking the UK government to help (I`d probably get banned if I gave my full opinion of them) then you`ve got more chance of Shergar winning next year`s Atlantis Derby with Lord Lucan as the jockey...

[Sunflash]

You cannot blame everything on our respective governments, that is unless your head fo the conservatives or from the north....

[Shiaoran]

Don't think that only UK lost something.
Lik-sang was the only store that would ship consoles to Brazil.

PS: If anyone know where can I preorder/buy(when it's avaliable) a Wii and get it shipped to Brazil, please send me a PM.

[R4mbo]

Shit on Sony. I NEVER will buy a new PS3, maybe a used one, like someone before said, its an good idea. I gonna wait for an PS3 Emulator in.. ... 10 Years maybe xD

[siccoyote]

You know what this means.

Everyone, support Bootlegged Sony Equipment and Pirated Sony movies, because it's obvious they don't want people to buy official ones, otherwise why would they shut down a shop selling them to people.

[siccoyote]

essentially mean a full Blu-Ray movie could be DivX`d onto a single DVD with almost the same quality.....
Actually that's a bit wrong. Blu-Ray films will be High Definition 1920x1080p and 'should' be in Mpeg4 already, so divxing wont give you better compression and picture quality, if anything Divx is a less efficient codec than the one that will be used.

Just had to point that out, but I think I'll be getting HD-DVD, but won't be buying Vista.