European customs officers have been ordered to seize incoming shipments of Sony’s PlayStation 3, after rival electronics firm LG was awarded a preliminary injuction in the ongoing patent battle between the two.
The Guardian reports that the civil court of justice in the Hague has ruled that all new PS3s must be confiscated on arrival into the EU for at least the next ten days, due to what LG claims are violations of patents it holds concerning Blu-ray playback. The paper was told tens of thousands of consoles were seized last week in the Netherlands.
While Sony is apparently frantically trying to get the ban lifted, and has the right to appeal to the European patents office, LG could equally apply to have the ten days increased.The paper claims that Sony and retailers typically have a two to three week supply of PS3 consoles in reserve.
This is the latest, and most dramatic development in the increasingly bitter patent battle between the two electronics giants. As we reported earlier this month, LG is also seeking a ban of PS3 sales in the United States for violation of its Blu-Ray patents.
In late December Sony filed a complaint in the US seeking an import ban of LG mobile phones and modems, which the International Trade Commission is investigating. Earlier this month LG fired back, citing Sony Vaio laptops, PCs, digital cameras, camcorders and Blu-ray discs as being in violation of its patents.
Source: The Guardian