For some reason, Sony has a problem with Europeans buying their products from other countries. Today they released a statement that said:

""The law is clear; grey importing PS2, PSP or PS3 into the EU, without the express permission of SCE is illegal. Therefore, we will utilise the full scope of the law to put a stop to any retailers who chose to do this," a Sony rep said to GamesIndustry.biz. "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.""

So pretty much what that is saying is that any European buying a Sony gaming device outside of Europe is illegal without the permission of Sony. It is hard to tell whether they are just talking about retailers, or consumers as well. Most likely, it is both. It is highly unlikely that Sony will be able to uphold this though, as when the PS3 launches in North America, they will be hitting eBay by the hundreds, and at least a couple of them are going to be bought by our friends across the pond. Should they expect Sony to come knocking on the door the next day?

Labels: Playstation 3, Sony