Slashdot Mirror
Lik-Sang Is Out Of Business
AKAImBatman writes "Thanks to Sony's heavy handed tactics, popular game importer Lik-Sang is closing its doors. All Lik-Sang customers are having their orders cancelled and refunded. Any attempt to place a new order redirects your web browser to the news of Lik-Sang's demise." From the announcement: "'Today is Sony Europe victory about PSP, tomorrow is Sony Europe's ongoing pressure about PlayStation 3. With this precedent set, next week could already be the stage for complaints from Sony America about the same thing, or from other console manufacturers about other consoles to other regions, or even from any publisher about any specific software title to any country they don't see fit. It's the beginning of the end... of the World as we know it', stated Pascal Clarysse, formerly known as the Marketing Manager of Lik-Sang.com. 'Blame it on Sony. That's the latest dark spot in their shameful track record as gaming industry leader. The Empire finally won, a few dominating retailers from the UK probably will rejoice the news, but everybody else in the gaming world lost something today.'" Many thanks to Sony for ruining it for the rest of us. I hope that your business model makes up for the customer goodwill you're lighting on fire today. Update: 10/24 21:34 GMT by Z : Eurogamer has Sony's response to Lik-Sang's accusations.
If you're not already Boycotting Sony for their misdeeds, then I call upon you to stop purchasing ALL Sony products. Yes, that means no PSP, PS3, or PS2 stuff. (The PS2 and PSP games can be purchased used without majorly impacting a boycott, but it's better if anything Sony sits on the shelf.) More importantly, though, we have to hit Sony where it hurts! Which means no more Sony movies, music, and television.
That means that we can't watch, purchase, or rent popular movies like:
It also means that we need to stop watching popular television shows like:
Understandably, some of these are very entertaining pictures/shows that I (and I'm sure many others) would enjoy seeing. Unfortunately, a complete boycott means that every Sony product line must fail. So I ask you all, politely and humbly, will you boycott Sony? There is no excuse for their behavior, and I cannot in good conscience allow my dollars to support that behavior. If you feel the same way, then I would ask you to LOUDLY proclaim that you are joining the boycott.
Thank you.
P.S. If anyone has Sony contact info, please post it. A flood of angry but well-worded letters will help Sony pay attention to our displeasure.
P.P.S. Read the Lik-Sang announcement for yourself! Apparently, Sony Europe's execs are big customers of Lik-Sang!
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Sony's sues someone out fo business for selling their official products?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lik-sang
I really don't understand how Sony can do this kind of thing. Isn't this the kind of thing the World Trade Organisation is supposed to prevent? I thought that there was supposed to be essentially "free trade" between countries in the WTO. Or is it only free trade that benefits corporations that's allowed, not that which benefits us lowly consumers...
I would think that's too harsh. Then again Sony uses their own batteries, so sooner or later their business will go up in flames anyway.
You are only hurting your business, and complementing your competition.
Just like the above posters, I will not recommend nor buy anything from Sony. They are a hack company, and I'm done with them.
Love,
Kieth (Manager EB Games #47564)
I wonder if play-asia.com are worried?
Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for an hour. Set him on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
For anyone who isn't very familiar of Lik-Sang, they were a Hong Kong based company who would ship video games all over the world. Easily one of (if not the) best import websites on the internet.
Out of my many transactions with them, there was an error only once. A simple call to customer service and they quickly corrected everything. This is truely a sad sad day.
Boycotts are often called for but they just don't work.
Even though this move against Lik-Sang is outrageous, it turns out that people just don't care enough to deprive themselves of entertainment.
I have no sig yet I must scream.
I may not have been the biggest Lik-Sang customer ever, in fact apart from a few relatively small purchases I mainly used their site for window-shopping, drooling over all the stuff I couldn't afford yet but wanted to save up for. They were often the only way to avoid the cesspits of eBay for certain things, and they always went above and beyond in terms of customer service for me.
Sure, they were a Hong Kong import/export warehouse who wrote websites in broken English, but they really seemed to care about making people happy more than the rest of them that just want to shift merchandise. They had news. They had reviews. They had style.
I feel like I've just lost the modern Internet version of the classic little mom-and-pop shop that always had the coolest stuff.
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
I read the linked articles and I can't get it..is this a copyright infringement lawsuit or an equipment safety one?
Sony keeps talking about voltage levels and such but the suit is always labelled as "intellectual property". Which is it?
Also, in the case it's IP, doesn't the doctrine of first sale allow anyone to resell the copyrighted stuff any way he or she wishes?
Too bad for Lik-Sang. They sold a lot of cool stuff and was definitely near the top of the list if you wanted to import consoles or games. While one can understand Sony's behaviour from a certain point of view, it still seems really odd to go after a company that actively promotes their products. If Sony is in such bad shape, that the perceived losses due to Lik-Sang's activities are significant to them, then I wonder if the end of Lik-Sang is a prelude to the end of Sony if the PS3 transition goes poorly. Just how close to the edge of failure is Sony? Will Korean archrival Samsung come in and buy what's left if Sony totally tanks? Yeah, that Samsung part is total wild outta the a** speculation, but it is widely known that Sony is not in the best of shape.
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
It's a pity Lik Sang closes because I really liked that shop. It was especially easy to order there because they had bank accounts in many countries so I didn't have to pay for international bank transfers.
I also have to add that Sony is not the only company that restricted game imports from Japan. Nintendo has done it before with the N64 and as much as I like Nintendo, I have never understood the reason for that restriction. It's the same with DVDs - if the publisher in my country produces an acceptable version, only a few people will import the game/DVD just to get it a few days earlier. If the localized version is inferior to the Japanese version, more people will import it. So it's just a simple market mechanism and why should a company bother to change this?
The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.
Boycotts don't work because consumers don't like giving stuff up.
In this case, you could always just pirate it instead of buying. Still gives them mindshare, but no profits. Seem to me that's the only way you'd ever accomplish a Sony boycott.
Consumers are sheep; unless provided an equally-attractive alternative, they'll never really give anything they enjoy up, no matter how repugnant its production might be.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
This isn't the first time Lik-Sang have run into trouble. They changed hands a year or two ago when they were being sued for selling mod-chips. I thought they'd at least be safe now, but no. Perhaps Sony should have funnelled the money they spent on the lawsuit into making their SoundStage software half-decent and producing an MP3 player that doesn't use their shitty ATRAC format.
They were bypassing Sony's "official" channels and hurting their ability to price discriminate.
The 'grey market' is an equalizer; it's a basically unified marketplace that defies the attempts of the monopolists to charge different prices for the same thing in different places, by taking advantage of the cheap global transportation that we're blessed with today.
This is why it's so hated.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
Nothing in this news report explains exactly why Lik-Sang is closing. It makes mention of action against the reselling of PSPs, but it sells plenty of Nintendo hardware and other systems' software...IANAL, but I don't see any precedents set in the most recent ruling that affect software (nor do I see Nintendo legal action brewing on the horizon). Is this a case of Sony being aggressive behind the public's back and ordering Lik-Sang to shut its doors without saying why to avoid future action? Is Lik-Sang using this opportunity to dump the business and divert potentially angry customers at a red herring? This story is dying for more research and explanation.
No, but as they mention in their explanation, the foreseeable future of this is additional lawsuits striking at their other markets. Rather than run into the ground, they're doing the responsible thing and closing up while they still have the resources to refund/service their customers. Nice to see a company being responsible in this regard.
Photography has had a grey market for years and manufacturers have more or less resigned themselves to its existence. They take specific steps to protect their business arrangements, Canon USA will not provide warranty service for a non-Canon USA imported item, but they generally do not pressure retailers.
So camera manufacturers have figured out how to live with it, I'd like to see why Sony has gotten the idea that it is better to sue it out of existence.
"Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
Would you like to just temporarily remove those Sony salesman's genitals from your mouth and repeat what you just said? I couldn't understand you the first time...
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Sony suing Lik-Sang is one of the most stupid things I've seen a company do.
And besides that, it is also a obvious example of double standards. Even Sony directors were huge clients of Lik-Sang.
For example (as stated in the note):
- Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd)
- Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd)
- Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd)
- Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited)
I'll be avoiding Sony stuff after this...
-- SouNerd.com
Didn't think so!
Ever since Sony acquired large media properties, the old Sony has been slowly dismantled piece by piece, as one horrible business decision after another is foisted on the consumer by the influence of the media divisions. If Sony wasn't so concerned about defending their media units (dvds,cds,film,etc.), we wouldn't have had things like the root kit fiasco, crippled MP3 players, and $600 gaming systems. We also might have a company that focuses on what they did best, delivering consumer electronics to a willing market.
This is just the latest in a string of strong arm tactics from a company that has lost its roots and its way. Apparently, hitting them in the wallet is the only chance of getting them to change. Maybe if the PS3 flops, they will be forced to reexamine their structure and strategy.
I'm all for the calls of BOYCOTT! I wasn't going to buy an overpriced PS3 anyways, but I'm not going to be buying other Sony products either.
Lik-Sang was a great, quirky outfit. They'll be sorely missed!
No, but Sony's win sets precedent for future lawsuits. Sony could in turn sue Lik-Sang for PS2 and PS3 sales. Then Nintendo could do the same thing. Better for them to get out now than face more lawsuits.
I also use a site called 'Jandaman's Import Video Game Accessories', but I'm not sure if they're still online.
It's possible to enjoy all of these without paying Sony for the privelge:
Playstation stuff - It's debatable about whether or not the hardware for the PS3 is a loss leader - thus, purchasing it may actually hurt Sony financially. To top it off, if you sell one on eBay this Christmas for a higher price, you would then make money at Sony's expense.
Alternatively, you could simply purchase all Playstation products (including the PS3 once there are ample supplies) used. Since Sony only makes money for the first sale of each property, you can rest assured that Sony won't make any money on your purchases. Or rent games from video stores or Gamefly.
Movies - Essentally the same as video games, simply rent the DVD once the movie leaves theaters or buy it used.
TV shows - Unless you're part of a Nielsen family, it makes no difference to Sony whether you watch their show or not. The TV show was already purchased by the TV station with money from the advertisers. If you feel you must do something, then either ask your local TV station to stop running said shows (Good Luck there - "I feel that since Sony shut down a game importing company it is morally reprehensible for you to show "The Boondocks.") or mute the ads and/or don't purchase any products that are advertised during said shows (this may prove diffcult, though - can you honestly stop going to your favorite local hot dog stand solely because one of their ads happened to run during Jeopardy! ?) Alternatively, wait for the series to be printed on DVDs, and then rent/buy used.
So...yeah. By doing these things, I'm contributing exactly as much money to Sony as the above poster while still watching shows I like.
I was a grey market importer. It's an interesting business to be in. There are two reasons for the grey market: either to bring in a product that is not marketed in the destination country, or to take advantage of arbitrage when the product is available but the official importer adds a hefty premium.
Either way, you will eventually attract hostile attention, especially if you undercut the official importer (either by lower prices or earlier market presence). Your best strategy is to fly under the radar; that is, be too small a fry and ideally be in a market that is entirely neglected.
In Lik-Sang's case, they had a history of selling mod-chips (which according to some is black market rather than grey market) and they were undercutting the official importer. They also marketed in the UK, which has much more hostile laws to the grey market than the USA.
It is much harder to suppress the grey market in the USA via the courts. Believe me, they tried. It was quite a fight for a while, but eventually the grey market won.
Yet, the grey market is much less active in the USA. This is because the producers came to understand that the only way to drive the grey marketeers out of business in the USA was to compete with them on a level playing field; that is, to offer an official (and hence supported) USA version of the product at a competitive price.
To tell you the truth, I didn't mind being shut down. I am a consumer as well as a(n ex-)grey marketeer. The official importer undercut not only my price but the price that I paid overseas, and had a more suitable product for the USA market. Ultimately, my grey market activities were to help sponsor my overseas shopping trips, as opposed to being an income-producing business; and the official importer made that unnecessary.
The success of the grey market also helped convince the producers that there was a market in the USA for their product. That probably would not have happened if it weren't for us.
So, in the end, everybody won in the USA by not suppressing the grey market through the courts. Too bad that the UK government isn't as wise.
The lawsuit in question wasn't about infringement enabling devices (read: modchips...). It was about selling PSP's to the UK without Sony's permission. Completely different thing altogether.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Too bad to see such a good company go. I've checked their site regularly for years to look for interesting items I could use with my curent gaming hardware, such as the Japan-only Nintendo DS web browser. I'm sure someone else will eventually take Lik-Sang's place, but no one will ever have such detailed information about foreign products like Lik-Sang offered.
8==8 Bones 8==8
Sorry, I had to say it. That is all.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
What did they do anyway that was so illegal or wrong?
AFAICT, Lik Sang bought goods in one place, thereby invoking "Exhaustion of Rights" -- i.e., the law which says that once you have sold something that used to have been your property once to somebody else, whatever the hell they do with it next is none of your bloody business -- and sold the same goods in another place. What's so terrible about that? For crying out loud, there are laws in place that protect your right to do exactly that! For instance, on the European Mainland, DVD players must be multi-region; because it has been ruled by the European courts that preventing a movie sold in one country from being watched in another is anti-competitive behaviour. How is this not the case with video games? Or is this another bit of the Maastricht Treaty that John Major opted us out of while he was Prime Minister?
Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
Sony hasn't wanted our business for years. Look at all the restrictions they put on their products: the weird file formats, the proprietary "Memory Stick", the DRM on their media products, the rootkit, and ..... Mission Impossible 3.
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
My name is Kieth. Stop picking on me.
No it's says that because it's a "Dual-Disc" release meaning it's a double sided "flipper" disc with one side Audio CD and the other side DVD (either DVD Audio or DVD Video). these discs change the location of the audio layer from a depth of 1.2mm to .6 mm which means some players will have trouble reading it... hence the warning.
Collector's Edition
I almost forgot:
Exploding Laptop Batteries forcing recalls by Dell, Apple, Toshiba, Lenovo, and Fujitsu
"They" are the millions of people who don't read Slashdot and have no idea who Lik-Sang is. "They" are the people who only heard about the rootkit when it was on CNN. "They" are the millions of people who probably have a vague idea that their Gap t-shirt and Nike shoes were made by an underpaid child laborer, and don't really care; or that the $199 bargain PC they bought was probably made at a factory that dumps toxic waste into the environment, and buy it anyway. They are the people who keep Wal-Mart in business, even if the result is the elimination of local jobs or stores.
Most people do not care about ethical dilemmas if taking the 'high road' costs more than a few dollars extra. If you want to get them involved in a boycott, there either has to be some tangible goal that will benefit them, or the boycott can't cost them anything.
The free market value of a "warm, fuzzy feeling" is virtually nil.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
We live in a capitalist system. In such a system if Sony can sue the ass off LikSang, and they feel that will increase their revenue, then they should. However capitalism only works if you have a strong legal system that protects the public at large. We should really be blaming our governments and our legal system for allowing this to happen.
"Would you like to just temporarily remove those Sony salesman's genitals from your mouth and repeat what you just said? I couldn't understand you the first time..."
Turns out his moith was clear, you just had your head up your own ass. Try listening with less ass in your ears.
"moith"? You meant "mouth", right? I'm no doctor, but that sounds like the mispronunciation of someone who's gagging on something.
What on Earth are you smokin'?
I used to sell Sony batteries in my retail store. I had no contract with Sony. I did not need Sony's permission. Sony didn't even know I existed; and liked it that way.
I could have sold Sony TVs, Game machines, whatever on the same terms.
I bought them from someone who owned them. I resold them. It's a pretty straightforward equation. Sony did not rely on contract issues in the lawsuit (if Lik-Sang got their stuff under contract from Sony, Sony could have just stopped selling to them. Problem solved).
No, Sony invoked consumer protection law; just as consumer protection law would now prevent me from selling certain . . . Sony batteries.
KFG
In most cases, the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true.
...I resent advertising for them.
I completely disagree with you on this point. The best pair of running shoes I ever purchased was $15 at Shopko. My track coach gave everyone a list of criteria to meet for an approved pair of shoes. He personally checked each pair and used the pair I bought as the example of a good running shoe.
What are sunglasses for? Shielding your eyes from the sun. A pair of $5 glasses with a high SPF rating does just as good of a job blocking out UV as a $200 pair of designer sunglasses. Ray Bans and Oakleys don't have some magical properties that make them better at blocking out UV. They just might look cooler and be made from more expensive materials (even then it's probably the difference between $1.00 of platinum and $0.05 of aluminum).
This I agree with wholeheartedly. I buy most of my clothing from the discount rack at Old Navy (because their clothes just happen to be designed for people with my body type). I don't buy anything from them full price. However, I own nothing that actually broadcasts "Old Navy". Just like you, I don't feel like being a walking billboard for any company.
http://www.bynarystudio.com
why would a UK court support that position?
Actually that is still an open question of weather the courts would uphold or throw out Sony's charges against Lik Sang were the case to be actually litigated.
A large company does not need actually enforcable legal claims in order to litigate a small company (or individual) into bankruptcy. Especially when they start filing lawsuits in fucking foreign courts. Lik Sang is a small Hong Kong company with no presense in the UK, and suddenly they find someone stuffing in they face a notice ok UK court proceedings against them.
One option is to simply ignoring the foreign court which has no juridiction against them, but that would mean the litigating party (Sony) would win any and all court motions by un-opposed default, no matter how bogus those court motions were, and the attacked company would eternally face the propect that that foreign monstrosity of bogus default rulings would come crashing down on them somehow some day. The eternal headache of an entire foreign legal system trying every method to strike at their business deallings and to get at Lik Sang iself, to enforce the unopposed default rulings against them.
Another option when you get that notice of foreign court action against you, is to rush out and locate and pay for some lawyer in that country, and to rush to supply that lawyer with the facts and other information of the case, and have him do his research and work to figure out the proper legal strategy and response to the case, and to manage to get that appropriate response filed with the court within the deadline listed on the court papers. Meeting that court deadline is really rough under those circumstances. And then of course you have to pay a legal team to actually fight out that legal battle for however long. And when you *do* take this option, going into that foreign court to argue the case usually involves an implict legal acknowledgement that you *accept* that that court has jurisdiction over you. You generally cannot both argue that the case against you is bogus *and* argue that the court you are in has no authority over you in the first place. By accepting the court's jurisdiction you are placing your head on the chopping block for that random foriegn nation's entire legal system... and you have been running your business perfectly legally under your LOCAL laws and god-knows how many ways you can get screwed because that random foriegn legal system is different.
And then of court there's the real killer... you go ahead and prepare to fight the good fight in the UK court room.... and before the judge ever rules on anything... you find yourself served with simultaneous court filings in the US and in Austrailia and in France and in Germany and every other country where Sony has lawyers already on in retainer. At which point it's all over. It doesn't matter if your business is 100% legal and if you would win each and every court case. A tiny company like Lik Sang cannot possibly afford the cost of a score or more of lawyers fighting multiple simultaneous court battles in various countries across the globe for years on end.
Oh, and lets not forget that Sony has been bleeding Lik Sang for YEARS with a series of LEGALLY BOGUS international lawsuits. For example here is a lawsuit over mod chips where Lik Sang was forced to give up the court fight and paid Sony an undislosed extortion payment to survive.... yet here is an ultimate Australian ruling on the issue showing that the mod chips (and Lik Sang's business) was perfectly legal in Australia and proving that Lik Sang was bled legal costs fighting a case where Lik Sang was in the right and paid Sony settlement $$$ to escape for a court battle where Lik Sang was in the right.
Lik Sang's business annoys Sony. It doesn't matter if Sony has any valid legal claim or not, Sony is big enough that the
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
I wear presctiption sunglasses, which cost a small fortune, stand up to anything, and have to be comfortable because I can't see shit without them. Let me assure you, Oakleys and Ray-Bans are _not_ a high quality product. Better than the spinny rack? Yes. But that doesn't mean they aren't junk.
--Nuintari
slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.
"A good pair of running shoes is going to set you back at least $100, no matter what. If you buy anything cheaper, you're simply risking injury."
It is simply untrue to claim that inexpensive running shoes come with the risk of injury. Sorry to drift off-topic, but this is an oft repeated falsehood that I once believed myself, and I'd like to share what I've since learned. Review literature on the subject concludes that the only reliable predictors for injury are experience level, training load, and history of previous injury. In particular, a sudden increase in training load often results in injury, and one might speculate that beginners are more prone to this error.
There is no evidence that cushioning or motion control technologies have done anything to reduce the incidence of injury over the years. Indeed, some groups, including westerners on concrete, run in bare feet, without obviously higher injury rates than those wearing "good" running shoes, though peer-reviewed studies are scarce. The biomechanics of running and running injuries are simply not well understood. As such it's difficult to claim that any particular design can reduce injury rates.
Funny that, I've been told by some rather serious runners to avoid expensive shoes, because they're gimmicks.
But you miss the point entirely. The purpose of the branding is to illustrate your disposible income as a measure of status. The less sophisticated the audience, the more obvious the branding. That's is why the logos on clothing for high-schoolers is far more prominent than the clothing for adults. When you buy Oakleys, or Air Jordans, or whatever today's fad is, you are quite literally paying for the right to display how much money you have to lose.
True story.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
I work in China, manufacturing garments (management...DUH! People have accused me of being a factory worker...who speaks native level English...and posts on Slashdot...anyway). It does indeed cost quite a bit more to manufacture a quality shoe. You are correct that the factory cost and the retail price are quite a bit different. However, you forget to factor in such factors as research & development (yes running shoes require R&D), the cost of advertising, shipping, and so on. When you buy a brand name, you're not just buying leather and laces, you're also buying the brand...by displaying its logo, you are enhancing your status among your peers. This is why brand name merchandise is so much more profitable than other types. I could show you a shoe equal to the one that you have, at half the price, and you wouldn't buy it because you'd think that there's something wrong with it because the price is too low. Seen it happen a million times, and I've lost contracts because my prices weren't high enough.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
Indeed, shoes affect different people in different ways. I had shin splints in some shoes and running surfaces, but not in other shoes. My anecdotal evidence is that running barefoot on grass, dirt, concrete, and pavement (surfaces free of sharp pebbly rocks) has become more comfortable than running in shoes (and less expensive and more fun, especially when there is mud). This doesn't mean barefeet work for everyone, but it also means expensive shoes are not inherently superior to cheap shoes (with my barefoot adaptations I can run just fine in bed slippers or mocassins or anything with enough flexibility) or even no shoes.
And to my surprise, when I researched to make sure I wasn't damaging myself, I found no science in support of current shoe designs. Conclusion: whatever works for you is best; don't be fooled into thinking expensive shoes will necessarily "work for you".
"Lik-Sang did not contest this case (i.e. they did not turn up and therefore incurred no legal costs). We have been awarded substantial costs against Lik-Sang which have not been paid," the statement claims. "We would therefore strongly deny that our actions have had anything to do with this website closing (we assume the legal entity is still trading), and would suggest that this release is sour grapes on behalf of Lik-Sang which is aimed to belittle Sony Computer Entertainment and the British judicial system that found against them."
The mention of "substantial costs" suggests the size of the judgment may have been what caused Lik-Sang to close its doors.
RichM
Data Center Knowledge
and fight them with satire humor and MASS PUBLICITY. Someone talented needs to make a funny video that will get 10 million hits from google. THAT will hit Sony where it hurts, in the AD CAMPAIGN. They make money by default, give everyone somthing to laugh at them for and they will make another brand the COOL one and SONY will feel it. Not only would a VIRAL video hit them here in the US, but world wide exposure. The thing the CORPS fear the MOST IN THE WORLD IS INFORMATION. It is how they control us, using their game against them is the MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL.
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
Perhaps you were unaware that Sony has spent the last few years having their legal department bleed Lik Sang dry with lawsuits in a multitude of countries?
Like this case in Australia where Sony bled Lik Sang of untold legal fees and finally pressured Lik Sang to pay Sony undisclosed $$$ in order to drop the assault, and this completed battle over the issue showing that Lik Sang was in the right and their business was perfectly legal, and that Sony had bled Lik Sang of all that money with an INVALID lawsuit?
Sony is the Bad Guy here directing their international legal staff to wage an ongoing international legal assault, and tiny Lik Sang is the hero here for managing to fight the good fight against a vexatious litigant for as long as they did, with Sony filing god-knows how many different lawsuits in god-knows how many different countries and eventually bleeding Lik Sang to death.
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
Actually, I've read somewhere that if there is too much cushioning, injuries are more likely.
Apparently, the cushioning makes it more difficult for the brain to figure out how to position the ankles to reduce injury risk.
Even better: they've started to assign custom part numbers based on not only region but even retailer. So, if Target advertises "we will beat any price on this product!" and you bring in an ad from WalMart, turns out that they're not the same product, because one is an (for example) Olympus 340DL digital camera part number AO56789-123, and the other is an Olympus 340DL digital camera part number AO56789-456.
WalMart actively pressures its suppliers to do this, I've read. Nice, huh?
Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
Mod parent up.
/rant )
;-) )
/end rant
The only thing that $ will buy you in footwear nowadays is possibly longer life (don't count on that, either.) It won't buy you comfort. Everyone's feet differ, every situation differs.
(My foot doctor told me he's never seen feet like mine (13WW with a super-high arch). Despite that, he managed to make me comfortable, using a $15 clearance pair of tennies from Kmart as a base, two years in a row now. I'll spend money on a cobbler before I'll spend it on expensive shoes. All the crap in the advertisements and by salesmen is just that - crap. They aren't paid enough to know any better. Find someone who actually looks at your feet.
(I don't run, but I do spend more than 12 hours on my feet every day. Until a couple years ago, I used to spend an hour in agony afterward, every day. Not anymore. Thank you, Dr. Bennis
I used to spend over a hundred dollars per pair on shoes. At least one pair of those contributed to my long-term pain more than they helped my short-term - but not that was not evident until months had gone by, and I couldn't go back and get refunded. The last pair of expensive shoes I bought lasted a whole six months. Woo.
I grieve for the death of the small business cobbler. Oftentimes they'd know one's feet better than one knew them oneself. Unintended effect of modern business, maybe, but it still sucks. I'd trade federal protection against bad business for having a lot of the small biz back. At least one had more choices.
The nearest cobbler to here is three hours away, not likely to know me. But I do have a very good local foot doctor - even if he is more expensive, and is constantly buried in people whose feet have been fucked up by mass-produced shoes.
Moo. I wish more people realized what it means when we drive local small biz out of viability, and would vote so. Not that voting makes a fucking difference anymore, and now I'm getting way off topic, so
SB
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.