300,000 PS3s stuck in Holland

The ongoing patent disagreement between PS3 platform holder Sony and Korean electricals manufacturer LG has hit the courts today, revealing the true extent of the debate.

Dutch site InsideGamer reports that as many as 300,000 machines are currently being held by authorities, with 250k being seized at the ports of Rotterdam and Schiphol last week alone.

The total value of the stock is said to be around €43m.

The effect of the injunction on High Street supplies remains unclear for the moment.

Earlier this month it was claimed that the structure of EU patent law could potentially allow Sony to continue shipping hardware into EU states providing it is not routed through the usual air and sea channels in the Netherlands.

Indeed, there’s little sign of shortages in the wild. Nearly all major retailers claim to have stock of the hardware with the exception of a couple of SKUs from one or two outlets.

It was reported earlier today that LG is pressing for additional licensing payments from Sony due to the use of what it claims to be protected technology contained within the console’s Blu-ray drive.