Sony’s resellers in Dubai could be creating the company a ton of hurt by flogging shedloads of gear to Iran.
The company has admitted that some dealers in Dubai resold about $12.8 million worth of its gear to Iranian ministries, in a move that could possibly attract US fines.
Equipment was sold to Iran’s broadcasting unit and health ministry, and Sony found some also planned to sell equipment to the information technology department of the country’s police.
In a filing with the US regulator, Sony admitted that if the US was to get nasty about it, it could cost the company a fortune.
Sony said it did its best to follow policies and procedures designed to keep transactions with Iran in line with applicable economic sanctions laws.
However it did not appear to have much in the way of controls to stop its resellers shipping the gear to Iran.
It listed four Iran-related transactions, in three of which it made net profit of less than $500,000, while taking a loss in the fourth.
Sony does not appear too concerned about it. According to Reuters it has revealed that it may conduct additional future sales in Iran through third-party owned dealers or distributors, which may require disclosure under US laws.
