New law forbidding the sale of used gear Japan


There is a new law in Japan forbidding the sale of electonics that are more than 5 years old. I think that this coul have major ramifications as well as present the opportunity to buy tons of used gear in japan on the cheap. Check out the following link:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/22/japan-bans-old-electronics-as-of-april-1/
audioobsessed

Showing 1 response by fatparrot

Not just yet! According to the rest of the article
Update: Well, it looks like you can relax a little. Thanks to Roy at Mutant Frog, we've learned a little more about the intricacies of Japanese law. Turns out that sellers of certain kinds of old gear will have to get a government seal certifying that the items adhere to modern safely standards if they want to sell the stuff after April 1. Sellers are crying foul, saying that in certain cases, it'll be too hard to get certification, and they may end up dumping their gear -- or exporting it, since it turns out exports are exempt from the new law. So, for the best deals on unsafe old Japanese electrical products, start checking the second-hand markets of Shanghai and Hanoi. Just don't mention our name.

Just as in the US, where TV broadcasting should have been only in the digital format by now, forces in the marketplace [pissed off consumers and trade groups] can sometimes alter or abort the "best laid plans" of Government Agency weasels!