TOKYO (AP) -- Sony Corp. is offering to replace at no cost the bottom casing on 416,000 digital cameras because the plating on it can warp, creating an edge that can cut or scratch the user's hands, the company said Thursday.

The program affects about 66,000 Cyber Shot DSC-T5 still cameras sold in Japan, and another 350,000 sold in overseas markets including the United States, Europe and China, Sony spokeswoman Ryoko Takagi said.

Sony first learned of the problem affecting certain DSC-T5 cameras about one month after the model first went on the market in September 2005, Takagi said. Some 30 customers in Japan and "several" others overseas have since reported finding the defect, with a number of them saying they received small cuts and scratches from it, she said.

The reports led to the company's decision to offer the replacement, she said.

Customers are advised to check the model and serial numbers of their cameras to see if they are among the affected products, the company said in a statement.