Would be nice if we could get a definitive answer from sony as to whether they are still making the vtc5 and if so who is buying them. As a rule i won't buy them because i just don't want to take the risk.
That might be difficult, as Sony never wanted these batteries to be available for sale to the general public in the first place. I believe they want to wash their hands of the whole matter for litigation purposes.
Just a guess of my own, but I believe Sony commissioned various factories to make the VTC batteries with their specifications. This is relatively common in the battery industry; many Japanese battery companies now have plants in China making their batteries to reduce production costs.
I'm guessing who ever was making Sony's batteries is continuing to make them and sell them to various vendors. Chinese companies are notorious for doing this. The old Sony batteries didn't have Sony printed on them anywhere, so any factory can create a lookalike and sell them as Sony's.
Take all of that with a grain of salt. Just my
