Lik Sang
Encyclopedia
Lik Sang was a popular distributor
of Asia
n electronics. The company sold import games, toys, figures, anime
-related items, and obscure adapters and controllers for various game platforms. Lik Sang closed as of October 24, 2006, as a result of multiple lawsuits filed against them by Sony
.
. It became well known for its sales of modchip
s for game consoles that enabled the normally locked-down consoles to play import and homebrew games (and, as a consequence pirated games). The "modchips" were not all physical chips; they included devices such as flash cartridges
that allow Game Boy
users to upload ROM
s and homebrew
applications onto the device, and play them as if it were a regular gaming cartridge.
, Nintendo
, and Microsoft
, alleging contributory copyright infringement, since the mod chips (and other related devices) enabled playing of pirated game titles on those consoles. The court granted injunction
s preventing Lik-Sang from selling these devices. After these suits, Lik-Sang began expanding its area of expertise by reinventing itself (under a new owner) as a vendor of legitimate, but obscure, accessories, such as consumer electronics
, games, merchandise, and t-shirt
s.
to promote independently developed games, they had an exclusive deal with GOAT Store that made them the sole distributor of all independently released games until their demise in 2006..
With GOAT Store Publishing they distributed 4 games offering free shipping all over the world.
In August 2005, the company was once again in legal trouble, this time from Sony
. Lik-Sang had imported PSP
s from areas where they were available, and re-exported them to UK
customers before the UK release date, which Sony alleged was a breach of their trademark
rights. Lik-Sang continued shipping PSPs, claiming Hong Kong's laws allow an item to be traded freely once it appears in a market anywhere in the world.
in London
(Patents Court) ruled the shipments were indeed in breach of Sony's rights. The following day, Lik-Sang posted a message on their website claiming they had been forced out of business due to Sony's legal action. Sony responded in a statement saying that Lik-Sang had not contested the case, thus incurring no legal fees, and had not paid any damages or costs to Sony. However, Lik-Sang replied once more that their legal representatives spent over a year to contest the UK's court jurisdiction and tried to defend against Sony's allegations of parallel importation and copyright infringement, and that Sony launched duplicate actions in different countries. According to Lik-Sang's final statements, two different judges expressed their surprise about the high legal expenses claimed by Sony.
As of October 24, 2006, Lik-Sang's website has been offline, the only page remaining being that of a letter to former customers in regards to the ruling, and the circumstances surrounding it. The Lik-Sang forums have also been closed down.
often spoke about Lik-Sang and featured them in their webcomics.
Famed iPhone jailbreaker Geohot makes mention of Lik-Sang in his rap response to Sony's lawsuit against him.
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n electronics. The company sold import games, toys, figures, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-related items, and obscure adapters and controllers for various game platforms. Lik Sang closed as of October 24, 2006, as a result of multiple lawsuits filed against them by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
Launch
Lik-Sang was established in 1998 in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It became well known for its sales of modchip
Modchip
A modchip is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of computers, specifically videogame consoles...
s for game consoles that enabled the normally locked-down consoles to play import and homebrew games (and, as a consequence pirated games). The "modchips" were not all physical chips; they included devices such as flash cartridges
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
that allow Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
users to upload ROM
ROM image
A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...
s and homebrew
Homebrew (video games)
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods...
applications onto the device, and play them as if it were a regular gaming cartridge.
Legal Troubles
In 2002, the company was sued by major game console producers, such as Sony Computer EntertainmentSony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, alleging contributory copyright infringement, since the mod chips (and other related devices) enabled playing of pirated game titles on those consoles. The court granted injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s preventing Lik-Sang from selling these devices. After these suits, Lik-Sang began expanding its area of expertise by reinventing itself (under a new owner) as a vendor of legitimate, but obscure, accessories, such as consumer electronics
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...
, games, merchandise, and t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s.
Partnering with Independent Developers
Lik-Sang was a strong supporter of the Dreamcast Community, in 2003 they partnered with Dreamcast-Scene(DCS) and GOAT StoreGOAT Store
The Goat store , LLC is one of the largest retro gaming online stores, and an Independent Video Game Publishing Label. Additionally they are one of the primary sponsors for Midwest Gaming Classic.-History:...
to promote independently developed games, they had an exclusive deal with GOAT Store that made them the sole distributor of all independently released games until their demise in 2006..
With GOAT Store Publishing they distributed 4 games offering free shipping all over the world.
In August 2005, the company was once again in legal trouble, this time from Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. Lik-Sang had imported PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
s from areas where they were available, and re-exported them to UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
customers before the UK release date, which Sony alleged was a breach of their trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
rights. Lik-Sang continued shipping PSPs, claiming Hong Kong's laws allow an item to be traded freely once it appears in a market anywhere in the world.
Closure
On October 18, 2006, the High CourtHigh Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Patents Court) ruled the shipments were indeed in breach of Sony's rights. The following day, Lik-Sang posted a message on their website claiming they had been forced out of business due to Sony's legal action. Sony responded in a statement saying that Lik-Sang had not contested the case, thus incurring no legal fees, and had not paid any damages or costs to Sony. However, Lik-Sang replied once more that their legal representatives spent over a year to contest the UK's court jurisdiction and tried to defend against Sony's allegations of parallel importation and copyright infringement, and that Sony launched duplicate actions in different countries. According to Lik-Sang's final statements, two different judges expressed their surprise about the high legal expenses claimed by Sony.
As of October 24, 2006, Lik-Sang's website has been offline, the only page remaining being that of a letter to former customers in regards to the ruling, and the circumstances surrounding it. The Lik-Sang forums have also been closed down.
Legacy
Lik-Sang is widely known in console gaming circles. Some even form a verb with the name, as in "I could Lik-Sang the controller if I had the money", and cult game site Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
often spoke about Lik-Sang and featured them in their webcomics.
Famed iPhone jailbreaker Geohot makes mention of Lik-Sang in his rap response to Sony's lawsuit against him.