One of the few online stores I’ve bought things from has recently decided to go out of business. Lik-Sang are (were) a Hong Kong-based company that sold video gaming systems, games, accessories and plenty of other cool bits and pieces that you couldn’t get outside of Japan.

Since 2000, I’ve bought from them maybe half a dozen times, and they’d always been fast with orders and their prices — though a tad expensive — weren’t through the roof. Shipping and customer service was also always good.

Two or three years ago they were sued by Nintendo for selling cartridges which were primarily for pirating Gameboy Advance games; it was at this time they changed ownership. A bit later (or perhaps earlier, I haven’t really followed this very closely) they were sued by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft for selling mod chips.

Again they were sued, and according to them this is the reason for closing their doors. Apparently, Sony has sued Lik-Sang from every Western European country for daring to sell Japanese PSPs (with European/UK adapters, I might add) to Europe and the UK. In the UK, Lik-Sang didn’t turn up in court so Sony won, and are now trying to claim importation of video game equipment is illegal.

Here’s where I start bitching. What the hell is Sony on recently? They get busted for installing software which potentially damages CD/DVD-ROM drives, but don’t apologise. They are forcing BluRay on people with the PS3 and since they can’t manufacture enough diodes for the BluRay drives in time for the PS3 launch, they cut their “worldwide” launch back to half a million units… and Europe (and Australia) have to wait another six months for the “worldwide” launch.

If Lik-Sang were around, people from Europe/Australia who were willing to cough up the cash could have played the PS3 early. The thing is, these people almost always know what they’re getting themselves into — if you import a console you are generally into “the scene” enough to take care of yourself. What right does Sony have to tell me where I can buy a system from? What if I flew to Japan and brought one back? Will my luggage be searched?

Sony seem to be imploding at a mile-a-minute recently, and with all their shenanigans, I think it might just be a good thing.