Sony accused of price-fixing in the UK

Sony is causing innovation – but not just in ways that benefit the consumer. In Europe, online retailers have accused Sony of giving discount prices to "brick-and-mortar" stores,
undercutting the profit margin of the web shops and forcing them to charge more for their PlayStations (and other Sony products, mind you). Some online retailers have filed a complaint with  the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) against Sony's dual-price practices.

Sony's reply? Guilty as charged – according to a press statement, Sony "provides discounts for resellers that invest in building the Sony brand." In other words, if you push Sony products, you will be rewarded.

Whether or not this is legal remains to be seen – Sony says it is, the EU Commission thinks otherwise. We will watch how this plays out (as this will effect all parts of industry), but in the meantime, how do you feel about Sony giving incentives to stores who effectively advertise their product? Is this unfair practice?

[via Evil Avatar]