EU Customs Seize PS3s
Need a new PS3? Tough luck.
Published: 18:30, 28/02/2011 by Peter [Colossalblue].
66Slightly alarming news for anyone who doesn’t already have a PlayStation 3 but wants one. Or, for that matter, anyone who has just suffered the Yellow Light of Death. It’s even slightly alarming if you were thinking of upgrading to a nice slim model.
Word has it, via MCV, that EU Customs officers have seized PlayStation 3 consoles at the request of LG Electronics who are currently embroiled in a heated legal dispute with Sony over the use of LG patents in the PlayStation 3 and in some Bravia televisions.
LG have asked European courts to halt the import of certain devices and now the civil courts of justice in The Hague have relented and agreed to seize any new units being imported into Europe. This will leave retailer’s stock levels under intense pressure as units sell out of shops and can’t be replaced.
According to the MCV report, Sony imports 100,000 consoles per week to Europe and, following these seizures, there may only be two or three weeks worth of stock left.
Time for a panic buy so you’re safe for the obviously impending zombie apocalypse? Probably not, these legal battles have a way of being worked out fairly quickly once profits are halted.
Update: We should have made it clearer that the injunction is only for ten days at this point so don’t worry too much…
Source: MCV
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28/02/2011 at 18:31
Member since: Aug 2008
Oh, fuck off LG. Bit late, aren’t you?
28/02/2011 at 18:34
Member since: May 2010
Seconded.
28/02/2011 at 18:37
Member since: Jul 2009
Wankers. I’ll defo never get me an LG product ever again.
28/02/2011 at 19:59
Member since: Mar 2010
Here here.
28/02/2011 at 20:23
Member since: Aug 2009
Damm it, got a LG TV and cinema set up! Bastardos!
28/02/2011 at 22:08
Member since: Feb 2011
Anyone want to buy my LG tv? Want to get me a Bravia instead, beat that for profits LG
01/03/2011 at 09:17
Member since: Feb 2010
Sign me on that list also!
28/02/2011 at 18:32
Member since: Aug 2009
Which countries is that, exactly?
28/02/2011 at 18:35
Member since: Jan 2009
Any country within the eu.
28/02/2011 at 18:36
Member since: Jul 2009
All of Europe and the UK, as far as the Guardian website is leading me to believe.
28/02/2011 at 18:38
Member since: Dec 2009
Why add “and the UK”?
UK is in Europe.
:)
28/02/2011 at 18:47
Member since: Jul 2009
Just because people sometimes assume Europe means mainland only.
28/02/2011 at 18:48
Member since: May 2010
get it to Norway then the UK, it works that way ;) avoid the EU stuff as i think norway doesnt like to be apart of it, as on every japan site it says the EU and Norway
28/02/2011 at 18:51
Member since: Nov 2009
There’s some dim people out there, Kovacs, believe me :|
28/02/2011 at 19:02
Member since: Jul 2009
Holland pretty much handles it all so tricky for Norway.
28/02/2011 at 19:01
Member since: Aug 2010
I live in Norway and we are not a member of the EU so I will do some checking to see if it’s the same here.
28/02/2011 at 20:24
Member since: Aug 2009
I hate the EU! Wish we weren’t a part of it, but that’s a discussion for another day….
28/02/2011 at 23:16
Member since: Oct 2009
I wish were not a part of it as well mate.
28/02/2011 at 18:34
Member since: Feb 2009
I bet the my 60gb will YLOD just as stocks run out. Hopefully this will be resolved quickly, I can’t see LG getting a permanent ban. Also, how has it taken them 4 years to realise?!
28/02/2011 at 18:38
Member since: Jan 2009
The smoking crack ran out. Unfortunately, they’re still high as kites.
28/02/2011 at 18:48
Member since: Jul 2009
Love the overreaction to LG. They might actually be completely in the right!
28/02/2011 at 18:51
Member since: Jun 2010
Yeah well…YOU SMELL! :op
28/02/2011 at 18:54
Member since: Dec 2008
Actually LG has a load of patent suits against Sony for PS3 & Bravia, but Sony have loads against LG for their smartphones. Tit for tat.
28/02/2011 at 19:04
Member since: Jul 2009
@Dan Yeh?… and you’re ugly. Saddlebags! :-p
@tuffcub Absolutely, fella. It always seems petty from a consumer perspective but these situations can mean millions of pounds for the rightful “owner” of such patents. Seems that most major companies are in and out of court more often than George Michael, nowadays.
28/02/2011 at 23:17
Member since: Oct 2009
then why take so long its been out for years.
01/03/2011 at 00:18
Member since: Jul 2009
This is the first time we’ve heard about it in the press. Doesn’t mean that forms of litigation haven’t been going on for months or even a year or two (let alone a multitude of other reasons we may never be privy to).
01/03/2011 at 16:28
Member since: Sep 2008
And yet some people think that our current patent laws benefit anyone besides patent attorneys.
28/02/2011 at 19:00
Member since: Nov 2009
Wow…kinda extreme isn’t it? Can’t we all just get along!! =(
28/02/2011 at 20:24
Member since: Jul 2010
Getting along right now is kind of hard.
considering a lot of people think we only have one more year to live, its getting harder and harder to form bonds when we would rather kill anyone that could take our supplies (if food ever becomes limited)
hell, perhaps LG wants to keep the PS3s to themselves so they can create a destructive super computer and destroy Sony (thats possible right?)
28/02/2011 at 23:44
Member since: Aug 2009
Sony yes… but it could be much darker that that
They’re South Koreans so you neva know…. worlds first destructive laser beam cannon, the North will certainly respond with WMDs? With that power the Earth is f**ked Japan will need to counter with Metal Gears! and er.. Mobile Suit Gundams! America and China? eh… I don’t know Star Trek and a powerful kung-fu army will do haha! While Britain counters with er… oh its been scraped.
28/02/2011 at 19:22
Member since: Oct 2009
If I needed another one, I’d just buy it from Lik-Sang.
Oh wait!
28/02/2011 at 19:41
Member since: Jun 2009
ha ha, very good
28/02/2011 at 19:43
Member since: Jun 2009
ahem, from the lik-sang website
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”.
28/02/2011 at 19:40
Member since: Jun 2009
So this means my PS3 actually went up in value? Makes a nice change seeing as my house price keeps on sliding :(
28/02/2011 at 19:48
Member since: Feb 2009
so, some expensive ps3s going up on ebay soon then?
28/02/2011 at 20:03
Member since: Jan 2009
lol, it’s funny, if it weren’t for the Sony PS3, I would never have bought the LG tevevision I am currently using.
28/02/2011 at 20:11
Member since: Dec 2009
Next up LG demands access to all Sony’s computers and equipment, Sony responds with a Kevin Butler rap video calling LG out for a fight. :P
28/02/2011 at 20:35
Member since: Oct 2008
Please *insert religious figure here* make that happen. This whole situation would be worth it for a KB Rap Video.