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Sony Attempting To Reclaim Import Psps

blackplastic

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blackplastic

blackplastic

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Posted

Found no reference to this:

Gizmodo

Guardian

The Japanese electronics giant Sony is demanding that companies importing its hotly anticipated PlayStation Portable to Britain reveal their customers' identities so the equipment can be tracked down.

Gamers who have bought the imported version ahead of its British launch in September could see the consoles impounded, following the launch of a legal action by Sony.

The PSP, a handheld games machine which can also play movies and music, has been trumpeted as this year's must-have gadget - but Sony is attempting to crack down on so-called "grey imports" into the British market. The corporation will go to the high court on Monday in the hope of securing an injunction against firms who are importing the consoles from Japan.

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Should the legal action prove successful, those who have paid around £200 each to buy imported PSPs could find themselves empty-handed. A copy of the writ, seen by the Guardian, demands that details of the British purchasers are handed over by the importing companies.

Grey importing is a common practice in the games industry, where dedicated fans will pay above the usual retail price to get hold of technology before it reaches Europe. Britain is traditionally one of the last markets for new consoles.

Some of the targeted retailers have already stopped selling PSPs, while others say they will fight the action. They argue that Sony's previous behaviour - including, some claim, the purchase of import PSPs by Sony staff - could be seen as implied approval.

But Sony defended its action in a statement: "We will continue to be vigilant and, where necessary, take appropriate action against those unlawfully importing PSPs into Europe."

Seems to me that this is really taking the biscuit. Sony may dislike import companies but to actually target the end user, who is generating income for Sony by purchasing games and the system in the first place, is completely stupid.

I for one wouldn't by a second PSP if Sony took away my first one. Or a PS3 for that matter.

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cassidy

cassidy

Posted
Posted
Found no reference to this:

Gizmodo

Guardian

Seems to me that this is really taking the biscuit.  Sony may dislike import companies but to actually target the end user, who is generating income for Sony by purchasing games and the system in the first place, is completely stupid.

I for one wouldn't by a second PSP if Sony took away my first one.  Or a PS3 for that matter.

didnt notice this thread then :D

http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=90433

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cassidy

cassidy

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I did a couple of days ago but didn't see anything that said Sony were attempting to gain the details of customers from importers to actually reclaim PSPs.

Edit:  Found it now, sorry... Just isn't obvious from the thread title!

No probs and it only turned up in the thread once the story was released yesterday. Hence its lack of obviousness :D

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womblingfree

womblingfree

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Absolutely ridiculous.

Can you imagine the evil Sony squad going round to little Jimmy's house to impound his PSP that his dad bought on ebay for his birthday?!

We live in a global market place and the sooner these greedy monopolistic dinosaurs realise this the better.

I'm off to randomly download some Sony movies and music in protest :P

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X

X

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Import PSP's not playing UK games. I thought they preferred us not importing. To do that would have the reverse effect and there is always likely to be a way to get imprts. Are they going to stop American ebay sellers from selling to the UK. I know the majority of game sellers say America only but I have managed a few American game imports from US Ebay.

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Pug Fugly

Pug Fugly

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So importing them is actually illegal is it?

If so, then you can't blame the customer for buying something - if a shop sells you something, you've every right to believe you're not breaking any laws surely.

If not, then what's the problem?....

How perculiar!

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blackplastic

blackplastic

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Surely it's completely unenforceable?

You don't have to let them into your house, and you can say that you've lost it (by leaving it on the train, for example).

That's what I'm going to say... Surely you can say what you want:

"It was crap so I threw it out"

Unless they get a search warrant :P

Then I'd lend it to someone.

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Karzee

Karzee

Posted
Posted

As Laines link above shows, all of this isn't true.

Reports this morning from British press were suggesting that Sony would be impounding all grey imports of their PSP console. Owners of import PSPs should not be worried though, as Sony has told GamesIndustry.biz that they will not be taking away your PSP.

"We're absolutely not going after consumers - that's not our objective at all. We can assure people who bought consoles on the grey market that we're not going to be going after them," said SCEE head of corporate communications Nick Sharples.

Is this absolutely clear to everyone?

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Spunky Monkey

Spunky Monkey

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So they are taking away property that you paid for? Well why doesnt every company do this, wait for people to buy things then take them back off them then sell the products again to once again take back off them.

It'll never happen but if it did i bet many people would just go out and buy another psp without voting with their wallet.

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Børre

Børre

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Demanding customers' identities in cases like these doesn't mean they will hunt them down. Besides, this is what Sony said yesterday:

SCEE head of corporate communications Nick Sharples said that "we're absolutely not going after consumers - that's not our objective at all."

AFAIK, rumors like these start because of two things: sloppy journalism and anti-Sony zealotry.

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lau

lau

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Posted
So they are taking away property that you paid for? Well why doesnt every company do this, wait for people to buy things then take them back off them then sell the products again to once again take back off them.

It'll never happen but if it did i bet many people would just go out and buy another psp without voting with their wallet.

i cannot imagine a single peron who, having had their £200 import psp TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM for no legitimate reason would go out and buy another.

also, what legal grounds do sony have for this? surely i can buy what i like from where i like in the world? i paid import taxes so it's not shady at all. what's their excuse for this?

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lau

lau

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Posted
Demanding customers' identities in cases like these doesn't mean they will hunt them down. Besides, this is what Sony said yesterday:

AFAIK, rumors like these start because of two things: sloppy journalism and anti-Sony zealotry.

but if that's not their goal, why ask for the consumers identity at all, and in fact what right do they have to ask for them unless theres some sort of legal reason?

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sofasurfer

sofasurfer

Posted
Posted

Its just gossip.

Sony would face legal action if they tried to take PSPs away from end users.

How would they enforce it for a start.Send bailiffs around?

And the bad publicity it would generate would be unreal.

This is just meant to scare us into not importing machines.

And doesnt the Data Protection act mean that they cannot obtain imformation without our consent.

Crap story.

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Professor Rob

Professor Rob

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Posted
Demanding customers' identities in cases like these doesn't mean they will hunt them down. Besides, this is what Sony said yesterday:

AFAIK, rumors like these start because of two things: sloppy journalism and anti-Sony zealotry.

Or maybe their original intention was actually to confiscate PSPs, and they backtracked in the face of adverse publicity?

To be honest, I've no sympathy for any company that tries to stifle free trade in such a manner. This is not anti-Sony zealotry; surely it should be possible to criticise companies without it meaning you have some sort of irrational hatred of them?

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Børre

Børre

Posted
Posted
but if that's not their goal, why ask for the consumers identity at all, and in fact what right do they have to ask for them unless theres some sort of legal reason?

Read the gamesindustry.biz article. It explains the situation fairly well

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lau

lau

Posted
Posted
Read the gamesindustry.biz article. It explains the situation fairly well

ah, okay... so they are only going after individuals who are actually selling the thing? unless you meant a different article.

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