Ben Reid
23 Oct 2006 14:51
European gamers anxious to get hold of the Playstation 3 console before its offical release in early '07 may be disappointed by the news that Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has promised use the "full scope of the law" to prevent that from happening.
The eagerly anticipated console will begin retailing North America and Japan next month but is not sheduled for release in the European market until March 2007.
Last week a British judge ruled that Lik-Sang, a Taiwanese import/export firm, could not sell the Japanese version of Sony's handheld PSP gadget in Europe, setting a precedent for potential importers of PlayStation 3 console.
A spokesman for SCEE told BBC News, "The law is clear, and grey importing PS2, PSP or PS3 into the EU, without the express permission of SCEE is illegal. Therefore, we will utilise the full scope of the law to put a stop to any retailers who chose to do this."
The spokesman noted that Japanese or American PS3 models would not play older European-sold software for the first two PlayStations, would not play EU Blu-ray films or DVDs, and would not be covered by any sort of warranty. "Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards," he added.
Source:
BBC