Online retailer Lik-Sang.com have today been informed that Sony are commencing legal actions against them.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc have commenced legal actions against Lik-Sang.com in the High Court of Hong Kong for selling PSP consoles. The news comes as the company alleges Lik-Sang.com have breached Sony's Trade Mark rights by offering the PSP for sale to customers in the UK.

Sony are seeking a court order to prevent Lik-Sang.com from selling or offering PSP systems, games and accessories to customers in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA). Sony further claims copyright infringement and damages by mirroring the freely available PSP manual on the news section of Lik-Sang.com during early June.

Apparently Sony warned Lik-Sang.com back in June they would take legal actions against the company should the manual and any hypertext links to Sony's web site not be removed. Lik-Sang.com apparently complied with Sony's request to remove the manual immediately.

Lik-Sang say the lawsuit has come as "a total suprise", given that the laws of Hong Kong are clear when it comes to parallel trade. Hong Kong's legislation is based on the fact that allowing parallel and free trade will restore natural competition and benefit consumers with lower prices. Hong Kong, one of the pioneering countries respecting worldwide exhaustion of trademark rights, allows free trade once an item entered the market for sale.

The company running Lik-Sang.com, Pacific Game Technology (Holding) Limited, is fully registered and operating in Hong Kong and has no ties with the UK. The company is currently looking into available options to combat what they are called in a press release "Sony's cynical attempt to disrupt the successful online business again, gain total market control, and garner publicity".

"Lik-Sang's sales are an unlawful interference with Sony's economic interests", Sony's legal correspondence have claimed. The case relies on Sony's claim that Lik-Sang.com has advertised PSP products in a "dishonest manner". Lik-Sang.com have said they will do their best to fight "Sony's powers and appreciates any support from employees, friends and even customers."

"This is the most aggressive move against its own customers that a console manufacturer has ever taken in the 30 year history of videogames", claims Pascal Clarysse, Marketing Manager for Lik-Sang.com. "Sony wants to completely cut hardcore gamers away from items released in Japan or anywhere else outside their own country. A very active part of the gaming community has been enjoying Japanese gaming culture for over two decades, and that's what the Empire is now willing to destroy."

Daily business at Lik-Sang.com is unaffected by the lawsuit. More information on the lawsuit will apparently be put on the site's news section soon, and Cube-Europe will have the latest when it happens.