Sony has won an injunction to keep three Australian distributors from selling a solution that allows PlayStation 3 owners to run pirated games.

In a case that will be closely watched by the games industry, the company will seek a permanent ban against the distributors. Game console makers have been in court battles for years to have "mod-chips" banned.

The Federal Court has blocked Australian online retailers OzModChips.com, Quantronics.com.au and Modsupplier.com from selling the "world's first PS3 mod chip" called the PS Jailbreak.

The temporary ban was issued by Judge Julie Anne Dodds-Streeton before a hearing where Sony will argue for a permanent ban of the products.

Unlike mod chips for other consoles, the PS Jailbreak does not require users to break open their consoles and install a new chip. The solution, which cost $170, is a simple USB dongle. The PS Jailbreak converts the PS3 into a "debug" unit to allow users to install pirated games on to the console's hard drive.

The PS Jailbreak marks the first time that the security of the console has been broken. The injunction requires the distributors to surrender their inventory of the device to Sony.

Sony has already installed blocks against PS3 owners who have installed the hack in the company's PlayStation Network.