Tesco's cheap PlayStations in sticker situation

Sony have this week obtained an injunction against supermarket chain Tesco, preventing them from selling un-stickered PlayStations.

It's believed that Tesco, who had been selling Sony's machine at the low price point of £64.99, have been buying up European PlayStations. These are normally sold with SCART leads instead of the RMFU units that plug into TV aerial sockets which are sold in UK PlayStation packs. Tesco were then including RMFU units made by a third party.

Sony have been granted the injunction on the grounds that Tesco have not made it clear that the RMFU units included are not made or approved by Sony, and unless they clearly mark the PlayStation packs as containing RMFU units not made or approved by Sony they must remove them from their shelves.

An official statement from Sony said: "Sony Computer Entertainment today obtained an interim injunction in the High Court against Tesco Stores Ltd in connection with Tesco's sales of PlayStation units repackaged to include some non-Sony components.

"The unit which connects PlayStation to the aerial socket of a television is called an RMFU. Last Wednesday (September 15) Tesco started selling PlayStation boxes which included an RMFU marked "Sony PlayStation" but not made or approved by Sony.

"The injunction, granted by Mr Justice Lloyd, prevents Tesco from continuing to sell certain RMFUs wrongly bearing the PlayStation trademark. Additionally, it requires Tesco to make clear by a prominent notice on the box if they include any other non-Sony RMFUs in the PlayStation boxes, and the fact that the RMFUs were not made or approved by Sony."

A full hearing of Sony's case is expected some time after November 15 this year.