We want to tell you a story about Alex from the UK. Like many European consumers, Alex was eager to get his hands on a PSP—he'd even played one during a trip to Japan. But, fearing that the launch would be delayed (and it was) in the UK, Alex decided to import a unit from Lik-Sang—after all, the PSP is region-free. In the following months, Alex enjoyed games from Japan, games from the US, and just yesterday, games from the UK. But when Alex went to register at YourPSP.com (a promotional site for the European launch) to enjoy free downloadable content, he was promptly rejected. The reason: his PSP's serial number did not originate from the European batch. Alex writes:
"At least when my parents told me off for spoiling my dinner by eating sweets beforehand, it was out of concern for my poor old teeth and poor old waistline. There was some sense that it was for my own good. Sony's punishment is pure corporative vindictiveness."
