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Sony Argues in Court That Digital Games Can't Be Owned
Decrypt • • technology
Key Points:
- Sony has argued in a federal court filing that no reasonable consumer believes they own digital games purchased on the PlayStation Store, asserting that purchases grant only a revocable license, not ownership.
- The filing responds to a class action lawsuit alleging that PlayStation's "Buy Now" and "Confirm Purchase" buttons misleadingly imply ownership, violating California's false advertising law effective January 2025.
- Sony contends that its checkout process adequately discloses the licensing terms through links to the Terms of Service and Software Product License Agreement, which explicitly state that games are licensed, not sold.
- The company seeks to move the case to private arbitration per PlayStation's terms of service, which also include a class action waiver, thereby avoiding a jury trial and class litigation.
- Sony plans to cease physical disc production for new PlayStation games by January 2028, making digital purchases the sole option for new releases, and is reportedly developing a stablecoin for transactions within its digital ecosystem.
