Sony wins EU import lawsuit

Many people have probably forgotten about the lawsuit that Sony took against Lik-Sang, so here's a short refresher. Back when the PSP was released in Japan and the US, the EU was left out of the loop - for months. In order to help the fair citizens of the EU, importers like Lik-Sang ran a grey market for the devices. Sony sued the company, saying that importers help to undermine the marketing campaigns and sales ideas behind the concept of staggered releases.

Now, a London judge has ruled in favour of Sony, agreeing that Lik-Sang directly violated the system maker's intentions for its release. The court found that having imports of a product before its scheduled release date hindered Sony's ability to market its own device in a manner that it could control, thus impacting future sales. The hearing took place on October 9, apparently without Lik-Sang having any representation in attendance.

The case could go a lot farther than the PSP, of course. The PS3 is again scheduled for a staggered release, since supply is being routed to Japan for the Nov. 11 release and then the US for Nov. 17. The EU won't begin to see its first legal units until March of 2007 - a fact that Lik-Sang has been banking on, as it is accepting preorders on its website.

With one ruling against it already, could an injunction be imminent? Tell us your thoughts on the suit in our forums.