Grey trading is the term given to the way in which the pricing and availability of goods in different markets can be exploited by importers, and the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) says its legalisation would seriously threaten both games developers and publishers in the UK. Computer games could be legally imported before their official release in the UK.
ELSPA director Roger Bennett is quoted by TheRegister.co.uk as saying, “I am irate, it seems like pandering to the big supermarket requirement to buy at the cheapest rate”. Mr Bennett fears that the plans could drain creativity in the games industry with the level of investment in creative development decreasing. This may lead to the developers moving overseas. Mr Bennett concludes that “the UK would become no more than a retail base”.
The government defends its plans by stating that consumers will benefit by the removal of distribution restrictions, however ELSPA will continue to put forward evidence that the proposals will harm UK industry.