A VIDEO game shop accused of selling a product before it was officially released has settled out of court with its manufacturer.

Awesome Games, of High Street, Walthamstow, bought copies of Fallout 3 from an authorised supplier before the role playing game went on general release, believing it to be imported stock.

The game’s manufacturer Bethesda discovered the retailer was selling copies of the role-playing game one week before it was due to be on sale in shops, and was therefore infringing copyright.

Bethseda claimed the goods were stolen and brought a series of injunctions preventing the video game chain from infringing the American-based manufacturer’s intellectual property rights in the future.

Sean Brennan, Bethseda’s managing director, said: “The product was shrink-wrapped and was a British version, and no version had been released anywhere in the world at that point.

“No copies of the game were available even at our office at that time. Therefore I believe these copies were stolen.”

The software company has settled out of court with Awesome Games.

The store’s owner Ahnes Qureshi paid an undisclosed sum to Bethseda.

Mr Brennan added: “We take such matters as the theft of our stock very seriously and will rigorously pursue any individual or company who perpetrates such acts.

“While it may be tempting to buy games from unknown sources and to release games early, it’s not worth the risk, as Mr Qureshi will attest.”

Ahnes Qureshi, 40, Awesome Games' owner, said: "Some guy came in and sold us some copies of this game. The second hand market is quite big for us.

You can't check everything that you buy second hand. I thought it had come from Europe because sometimes the release dates are earlier over there.

"Somebody else came in, bought a copy and told Bethseda that we'd been selling Fallout 3 before the release date.

"I was gutted when they contacted me. I feel I've had to bear the brunt of what is an honest mistake."