The ongoing patent dispute between Sony and LG appears to be heating up – “several thousand” PS3s have been seized by Dutch police, according to The Guardian.
The units have been taken from Sony’s biggest European warehouse, suggesting LG is deadly serious about all this, with Sony being forced to attend an emergency hearing at the Hague today to battle the blockade.
The newspaper suggests that LG will apply to have the consoles destroyed as part of the judgment over Blu-ray patens, allegedly infringed by Sony in the games machine.
“If Sony is found to have infringed LG patents,” say The Guardian, “it could be forced to compensate the South Korean manufacturer for each PS3 it has sold around the world, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds.”
This is in addition to blocks at both Rotterdam and Amsterdam’s Schiphol, where most of the imports of PS3 comes from for both UK and Europe. There are approximately 100,000 PS3s imported this way each week.
“This is only a preliminary injunction,” said a Sony spokesperson, “that has resulted in shipments being temporarily withheld. It does not indicate any acceptance of LG’s allegations. We consider these allegations unwarranted, and will take appropriate measures including filing a claim of opposition to courts in the Netherlands. We will not comment on any further details.”
double-o-dave
Have them destroyed… Can’t they just give them to a charity or something??? Even if it means limiting the functionality so they can just use them to browse online???
That’s a bit like the ex thing… If I can’t have her then no one can. I’ll stab the b*tch!
TheDeathAvenger
Might be a good idea for someone to check that dave’s exes are stab-wound free! ;)
double-o-dave
Depends what you mean… I stabbed a few of them plenty of times in the wound. One of them was bleeding once too, you should of seen the sheets – dolmio day :)
TSBonyman
Apparently LG have asked the US courts to do the same and they have agreed to investigate the matter. This might get a lot worse ..! :O
Awayze
Im never buying a LG device ever again, not that I have in the past few years. I don’t see why people would buy LG cr*p anyway.
Also why does going on TheSixthAxis slow down my iPhone 4?? It lags and it lags on Galaxy S too.
LivedeviL
People might actually look at cost vs size. I heard bad things about LG so looked purely at 40″ Samsung, until I found out I could get a 42″ LG for cheaper and still has perfect picture. They don’t always make “crap”.
This scenario does sorta make me wish I bought a different TV now though with how they are being towards Sony after all this time.
djsunna
why not link 100 thousand ps3’s up like (i think it was) the US military did with 170 or so ps3’s.
LivedeviL
Because then the “thou”-computer might become self aware, I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want Skynet to form…
PoorPaddy89
I don’t understand – why are LG doing this now, 4 years or so after the PS3 was released? I’m sure there must be a reason, otherwise it seems kinda retarded.
TheDeathAvenger
I think this has been going on for a long while, you just didn’t really hear much, if anything, about it. Probably because it wasn’t as juicy news.
Armonster9000
I WAS thinking about buying a nice flat screen from LG, but now I don’t think I will. Hopefully Somy gets out of this one.
dirtyhabit
That right mate. Hit em where it hurts, I’m sure they’ll really miss that £30 they probably would have made from the TV. Plus what if they’re in the right? Not the first time Sony have pushed there luck y’know . :-)
Shadowrider50
The only reason for me to support Sony getting their asses kicked is if it brought back SEGA!
beeje13
And thousands of PS3 gamers won’t buy LG products…. I’ve known they weren’t that good anyway but other people may be a little more selective now…..
Death_In_Flamez
Irony, I play my PS3 on an LG TV :P I swear, if my PS3 goes, I am so suing LG, arseholes…