Popular import retailer Lik-Sang has been forced to shut down. Sharpen your knives, readers.

Call us fanboy opportunists, but we thought you should know about this. Lik-Sang.com, the import retailer I'm sure many of our readers use, has just today announced that it will shut down operations, owing to multiple lawsuits by Sony. If anyone has forgotten, the manufacturer has been displeased for the past year with the website selling Asian products to European customers, claiming a breach of copyright. We interviewed Lik-Sang's Pascal Clarysse a few months ago about the issue, who said "Let me put it this way: If Lik-Sang.com loses this case, then gamers, the industry and Hong Kong lose as well. It would be a big step backwards for everybody but Sony of Europe."

A Sony representative claimed "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."

Lik-Sang offered a dimmer view of the outcome: "Blame it on Sony. That's the latest dark spot in their shameful track record as gaming industry leader. The Empire finally 'won', few dominating retailers from the UK probably will rejoice the news, but everybody else in the gaming world lost something today."

No new orders can be made on the website, and all existing orders will be cancelled and refunded. You can read the full press release here.