With the recent news of the ongoing Epic Games lawsuit against Apple, people are asking about digital rights more than ever. Whether or not it’s fair for Apple to take a 30% cut only further begs the digital question. Now it seems that more are taking notice of how some publishers run their own stores. Sony, for example, is facing some serious allegations due to their PlayStation Store being 100% exclusive to the platform. Back in 2019, Sony pulled digital purchases from all retailers. Due to this, many have considered this a domination on the market. Bloomberg reported today that a class action lawsuit is mounting against Sony in response to their anti-consumer actions.
Sony is operating an unlawful monopoly by restricting purchases of PlayStation games to its inhouse store, consumers claimed in a lawsuit https://t.co/8bPOLhge02
— Bloomberg (@business) May 6, 2021
Will the Lawsuit Change Sony’s Practices?
The exact details on when the case will proceed have yet to be discussed and no further date is given. As many other online outlets and stores carry other publisher codes, it’s hard to see why Sony would continue this practice. Digital codes have become much more common in place of disks or cartridges for larger games. As the article states, consumers, end up paying over 150% more than physical copies. Enabling more PlayStation Store options would thus allow for more buying freedom that Sony is obviously trying to avoid.
The lawsuit will proceed in the Northern District Court of San Francisco, California under the Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment case name. The extent as to which plaintiff will go in such a suit is yet to be seen, but it’s expected to present some interesting arguments. With the industry finding itself in courtrooms more than expos lately, be sure to check back and expect more news as the case develops.
So do you think Sony will be able to defend themselves and the PlayStation Store’s exclusive monopoly? Do you think Sony’s monopoly on digital purchases is a big deal? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments down below!
