While the Blu-ray patent infringement lawsuit between electronics manufacturer LG and Sony rages on, a court decision in the Netherlands has halted the confiscation of PlayStation 3 systems entering Europe, with the more than 300,000 units already seized ordered returned.
The confiscations began last month, when a civil court in The Hague, Netherlands ordered a halt to new PlayStation 3 units entering Europe due to a patent infringement claim filed by LG.
The seizures continued for a period of ten days, with reports of more units being confiscated yesterday, on the eve of an emergency court session in The Hague to determine if the blockade would continue.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports that the court has ended the seizure of PlayStation 3 consoles. LG has been ordered to return any confiscated units to Sony by tomorrow and pay the €130,000 ($179,000) court cost. For each additional day it takes for the consoles to be returned, LG will be charged €200,000, ($276,000).
So the PlayStation 3 consoles shall flow into Europe once more, though the pause in distribution is still likely to cause Sony a pretty penny.
And the patent lawsuit continues. Should Sony be found to have infringed upon LG's patent, the damages could make ten days without PlayStation 3 shipments look like loose change.
Beslaglegging PlayStations beëindigd [De Telegraaf (Dutch)]