Although Sony has already launched Play Station Portable in America and Japan, it has decided to postpone its release on the European market for September. The explanation Sony had to offer for this decision was the small number of consoles it was able to manufacture, and the fact that the demand on the American and Japanese markets was simply too great.

However, the owners of some British real or virtual shops have seen this decision as quite a good opportunity to make some money. So, they set about importing PSPs from America and Japan and selling them in the UK.

This PSPs parallel imports business has been taking place in England since the beginning of the year, and Sony decided to end these practices, which in the company's opinion, affect its interests and image.

Thus, all the shops selling PSPs, generally for 195 pounds, have received cease and desist-type letters from Sony, by means of which the company invoked trademark infringements and requested the immediate ceasing of all PSP selling activities.

Some shops owners decided to comply and removed the PSPs from their shops, but others, as Dan Morelle, the owner of ElectricBirdLand, consider that Sony has no right to make such a request, especially since the trade mark regarding the PSP brand in UK belong to a company from Bristol, Owtanet Ltd., and not Sony.

Sony will probably try to obtain a court ruling in order to forbid the sale of PSPs until the product's official launch date.