Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Dig Your Own

Gameindustry.biz today ran an article entitled Sony wins PSP import case against Nuplayer, Online retailer responds by taking European PSP pre-orders at below RRP

Kamal Sharma of Nuplayer Limited is reported to have said "Sony has no right to stop us selling PSPs obtained from sources in Europe. The same law Sony used to stop us selling PSPs is the same law we're using to legally sell European products".

It appears Nuplayer intends on supplying the PSP by hook or by crook but with obvious bitterness he goes on to say "If Sony offered to make me an official distributor now, I would categorically say no, because I would have to sell at the RRP and would only receive a small allocation."

Regarding the enforcement campaign against import imported PSP Consoles and Games, the article also reported action apparently proceedings outside the UK, citing Lik-Sang as another target: "Sony has declared its intention to take action against the retailer, telling GamesIndustry.biz: "We have contacted Lik-Sang regarding imports as other infringers."

"We are actively considering legal remedies available to us and are approaching all known importers in the same way.""

Who is profiting here? Lik-Sang must be doing well considering Sonys attention to domestic competition. And who manufactures these products again?

Meanwhile the action against ElectricBirdLand Limited is ongoing and the next Court hearing date is scheduled for August 17th.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Judgement Day

Sony today won it's claim in the High Court against Nuplayer Ltd.

Nuplayer had been selling the imported Japanese PSP Console and games prior the 1st September.

Sony claimed Nuplayer were infringing their trade marks by selling the The Products without it's consent.

Mr Justice Lawrence Collins ruled that Nuplayer had no argueable defence and Summary Judgement was given.

Nuplayer have been ordered to pay substantial Costs and Damages to Sony for bringing the case against them and hand over it's remaining stock, details of sales, profits, supplier data and some customer data.

The Nuplayer website has been taken down, it says "Sorry site down for maintenance, please check back later - the Nuplayer team".

I wish the Nuplayer team the best of luck for the future.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Reserving Judgment 2

A verdict was expected yesterday about Nuplayers Injunction but the judge stated that the case was still under further review. The ruling is now expected on Thursday.

This verdict has far reaching implications according to Sony:

"If the Defendent is not injuncted pending a final determination of this action, the message given to the market will be that the Claimants [Sony] have lost their legal action. Further, if this Honourable Court refuses to accept the Claimants' application, it is difficult to see circumstances in which the Court will allow the Claimants to seek interim injunctions against others."

So Mr Sharma, the Gretailers are watching. Give 'em a spinning bird kick for all of us.

tic toc.

Monday, July 11, 2005

The incredible shrinking spacemen

Japan. Always making things smaller.

I used to have this recurring dream about these astronauts that used to shrink until they disappeared.


I'm really looking forward to the GB Micro. Nintendo never cease to amaze me in the way they truly bleed every last penny from a product. It doesn't bother me. Each time they Dr Who their devices they improve it in some way, strip it down not beef it up.

There will never be another iPod phenomenon.

Sometimes hi-tech is not what the customer wants. Accessibility is also about affordability.

I use a mobile to make phone calls. I recently downgraded my star trek communicator to a Sony Ericsson T300. Oh I did of course change all the LEDs to blue ones but still the talk time is better than my thermo-nuclear-neo-dylithium walkie talkie (sure it doesn’t transmit my global coordinates to the mother ship or astral project my ass) and it looks cool. A phone is for making phone calls.

All this convergence crap just does not cut it for me.

And what the hell am I talking about? It’s the heat my friend, it is cooking me brain!

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men

The inevitable has happened.

Who benefits from terror?

They should all be brought to justice.

My heart goes out to all those who have been made to suffer by today's evil deeds.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Olympics coming to London!

London was won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic bid!

Well done to
Barbara Cassani, Seb Coe and the rest of the bid team, roll on 2012!

Why am I so pro Olympics? Hey, it's better than war! Brings all the countries of the world together to do something amazing and it really does change peoples lives without destroying anything.

Nice one London!

Reserving Judgment

In SJ Berwins/Sony's ongoing campaign to plug flood of PSPs in to the UK a High Court Judge on Monday delayed his decision on preventing online retailer Nuplayer from selling PSPs until later this week.

"They were trying to throw mud but it didn't stick at all." said Mr Sharma of Nuplayer Ltd.

"Nuplayer is represented by Guy Burkhill QC, described by Shamar as "The top IT law specialist in the country." Shamar said Nuplayer did not intend "to take it lying down," revealing that he has spent £100,000 on legal fees so far." [1]

So you see now that they also go after companies with big pockets as well as those with big mouths!

Monday, July 04, 2005

Hello World

Rosa Morelle has arrived!

Born at 7pm on Sunday 3rd July weighing in at 7lb 5oz.

For as the sun is daily new and old,
So is my love still telling what is told.

Friday, July 01, 2005

The lone and level sands stretch far away

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Business is business

In this capitalist world we live businesses are well within their right to exploit their economic muscle to interpret the laws of individual countries to maximise their profits, that's a given.

I cannot deny that electricbirdland is an enterprise aimed at making a profit.

Even though I agree with the phrase 'business is business', I have always operated by the rule 'people are people'.

I beleive a profitable business can be run without pissing in anyones beer.