[News] Ahahaha (lik-sang's CLOSED)

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

Quote:

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.

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."

Good job Sony.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

This sucks. Sony can bite me. Lik-Sang were one of the most usefull retailers in the world, for any serious gamer. Anyone with the slightest interest in import gaming, or in useful accessories for their console, or in modding for any reason, of any kind, should be pissed off.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Sony is one giant idiot. I mean I didn't import alot, but I have used Lik-Sang a couple of times. Sad news indeed.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

...wow. That just sucks. I had this ginourmous order I was going to place with them, and now I can't.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by ^-^

...wow. That just sucks. I had this ginormous order I was going to place with them, and now I can't.

I guess there will always be other places to buy imports and accessories from, but it's not hard to imagine this move by Sony being the start of a trend. I wonder just how long before video game importing/modding is impossible, because you simply can't buy the stuff anywhere online?

I was speaking idiomatically.

That sucks. Lik-Sang was great. Just ordered SFC USB adapters from them.

And Sony, fuck you. The only reason you won the mid-90s consoles battle is because you created cheapass easily programmable/hackable hardware. 10 years after and you're still releasing shitty hackable systems.

Rentability has a cost nowadays, and it's piracy. Sup' Nintendo ~

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Soluzar

I guess there will always be other places to buy imports and accessories from, but it's not hard to imagine this move by Sony being the start of a trend. I wonder just how long before video game importing/modding is impossible, because you simply can't buy the stuff anywhere online?

Well, unless they manage to bribe ebay into removing certain auctions from being listed, importing won't come to a complete hault. Meanwhile I'll use play-asia and continue to use play-asia, since I haven't found anywhere else that does a better jobo f getting games to me.

Just a side note, I've ordered over 50 things from play-asia and they're all arrived exactly 5 days later. Except for ONE and we had a public holiday here, I dunno. Pretty good service there.

I didn't have anything against lik-sang but yeah, this sucks.

FELIPE NO

That fucking blows. I loved Lik-sang. I had ordered hardware from them in past years, and as of last year, started importing many DS games from them. It's a shame. Dammit, Sony. I'm gonna eat you.

Now I need another store. I think I saw one that was linked to in one of my Gmail ads. Gotta go through that, unless you guys can recommend some other stores... :/

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Originally Posted by Elixir

Well, unless they manage to bribe ebay into removing certain auctions from being listed, importing won't come to a complete halt. Meanwhile I'll use play-asia and continue to use play-asia, since I haven't found anywhere else that does a better job of getting games to me.

I suppose you are right, but it is still possible for Sony to make life more difficult for the import gamer. I prefer Play-Asia myself, for actual games, but are they immune somehow, to Sony lawsuits? Who knows.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Soluzar

I suppose you are right, but it is still possible for Sony to make life more difficult for the import gamer. I prefer Play-Asia myself, for actual games, but are they immune somehow, to Sony lawsuits? Who knows.

No, play-asia don't ship PSP stuff to europe.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'll be honest. I don't really understand what makes the shipment of PSPs to Europe unlawful. What sort of law is this? What's the basis of Sony's argument, etc and so forth. It's all very confusing.

Interestingly enough, yeah. I enjoy play-asia more, but now I don't really have a choice, I guess. Lik-sang also did have some stuff that was pretty touch to find elsewhere.

How ya doing, buddy?

This fucking sucks... I loved Lik-Sang. They we're probably the cheapest shop for importing stuff, bundled with great customer support. Thanks Sony, now please DIE.

Bah... are there any good alternatives besides Play-Asia?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

National Console Support isn't bad. Expensive, but not bad.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Ow, trully a kick in the groin, that's what it is!
I bought my PSP and lots of game from lik-sang and never had any problem, was a great shop, guess it's over

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Originally Posted by ApOcaLyPSe_1985

This fucking sucks... I loved Lik-Sang. They we're probably the cheapest shop for importing stuff, bundled with great customer support. Thanks Sony, now please DIE.

Bah... are there any good alternatives besides Play-Asia?

There's always yesasia or the ebay shops, but I can't recommend yesasia.

I'll just stick with play-asia for now. But I don't think anywhere in the world sells imports with free shipping aside from lik-sang.

FELIPE NO

Aw fuck, where the hell will I get a component cable in time for the Wii now?
Will Sony never stop untill they've ruined gaming for everyone?

This and that fucked up comparison chart they've recently released, has just made the gap between me and getting the PS3 large as hell. And I was planning on getting all three this time around, having only had a GCN this last gen ;__;


EDIT: Thanks for letting me know about Play-Asia ;_____;

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lol. I like how there's some new black spot on Sony's track record showing up almost every day. What the fuck are they doing?

I liked lik-sang. I hadn't actually ordered anything from them, but there were price differences that I'd notice between them and play-asia. I was comfortable knowing I had two options, both highly recommended by friends and anonymous folk on the Interwebs. It's shit like this that kind of pisses me off, since it really doesn't make any sense and certainly isn't helping Sony's image.

At the same time, the casual gamer probably doesn't even know what play-asia and lik-sang.com are. Most of the 'shit' Sony's been doing for the past half year are going to go by unnoticed and they'll probably come out as the console industry lead again.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

HEARD SONY WAS REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HOLOCAUST DIE SONY

Seriously it's just a retailer. It's not like there aren't other ones out there and i'm sure the folks behind Lik-sang will have something new before too long.

How ya doing, buddy?

Man, this pissed me off when I first heard. Lik-Sang was a great site and I got some good service out of them. Damnit, Sony!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I don't even think people realize what import taxes really are for or the fact that Lik-Sang somehow completely bypasses this aspect of importing.

Now with that in mind, consider the PS3. Sony dropped the price of the PS3 $100 in Japan to better fit that market and it also means they will be making $100 less on each console sold in Japan. Now there are laws in place for global trading which helps protect companies which allows them to do this. One major method of this is import taxing where most of that money eventually ends up in the hands of the originating company. This means that even though Sony sold a $400 Playstation to someone in Europe, import taxes should make up the difference in domestic and foreign prices.

Lik-Sang bypasses this entire process. This means Sony has the potential to lose a TON of money because not only will they be selling a bunch of Playstations for $400 to the Japanese market, but they will also be selling them at $400 to a potentially huge import market.

This is the basis of what is known as arbitrage and the abuse of arbitrage is something that many countries are now making illegal.

TL: DR : Sony has every right to do what they did. I'm sure the other companies in the market are secretly thanking Sony for stepping up to do this.

As a gamer, yeah it sucks. I've used Lik-Sang more than once myself. But from a business perspective it can't be ignored that companies like Lik-Sang are exploiting many new problems that have come up as global trading grows.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

"the empire wins again", ¿free market? i dont think so.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Cetra

As a gamer, yeah it sucks. I've used Lik-Sang more than once myself. But from a business perspective it can't be ignored that companies like Lik-Sang are exploiting many new problems that have come up as global trading grows.

I'm no economist but companies have to keep in mind from day one that we are in a global economy. Trying to forcefully isolate markets rather than coming up with bottom-line uniform and regionally adjusted offers that, for the most part, boil down to having the same amount of value from anywhere seems very backwards and low.

What, is Sony gonna go on a vendetta against the import scene now and hunt down every site and store that offers it? =/

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Question: What's going to happen to Lik-Sang's remaining stock?

FELIPE NO

Sony is losing millions of money for their laptop batteries sold to Toshiba and some more. They are losing money anyway, and as we know Sony, they don't care if they get humiliated or hated, they will always be consumers ready to buy their stuffs because it's a big name.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Elixir

There's always yesasia or the ebay shops, but I can't recommend yesasia.

I'll just stick with play-asia for now. But I don't think anywhere in the world sells imports with free shipping aside from lik-sang.

Thanks a lot . I'm curious about Yesasia though, what's wrong with them?

How ya doing, buddy?