What was initially thought to be just another lawsuit against Sony and PlayStation, likely to be dismissed, has turned out to be quite the opposite. This is the legal action filed by Alex Neill, the consumer rights advocate in the United Kingdom, which a court has considered worthy of advancement, placing the Japanese company in a position to face British authorities.
Court Approves Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit Against Sony and PlayStation
According to a report from Reuters, the UK Competition Appeal Court has given the green light for the progression of the multimillion-dollar collective lawsuit filed by Alex Neill, on behalf of over 9 million players who consider themselves "misled" by the PlayStation Store and its pricing. The lawsuit, initiated in 2022, involves a damages payment totaling $7.9 billion, an amount Sony will have to pay if the process advances and they lose.
This multimillion-dollar collective lawsuit against Sony stems from the relationship between consumers and the PlayStation Store, with the claimant, led by Alex Neill, asserting that the Japanese company has abused its dominant position in the video game industry by closing off any option to purchase digital content outside of its online platform. Consequently, over the course of six years, customers overspent by paying the prices imposed by Sony.
Why Was Sony and PlayStation Sued in the UK?
In this context, the charging of a 30% commission to publishers and developers who publish and market their games on PlayStation platforms is cited as a reason to justify the prices, ultimately leading players to pay higher amounts.
Likewise, the lawsuit argues that by closing its digital distribution and sales environment, Sony is limiting competition. In an open environment with more participants in the business, prices would be lower to the benefit of consumers.
The collective lawsuit against Sony and PlayStation has its official site "PlayStation You Owe Us," where details and news about this legal recourse, which could make history, can be found.
Following the UK court's decision, the lawsuit gains strength and has become a more serious matter than initially thought, especially considering that British authorities, along with those of the European Union, have taken actions in favor of consumers in the digital technology sector in recent years, as seen with Apple products. The British court made it clear that those who joined this legal action after it became public in 2022 will not be considered, leaving it with 9 million users who consider themselves affected.
Finally, and likely something that will be highlighted in the hearings, the legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple that started with Fortnite revealed the 70-30 revenue split prevailing in the console sector. According to Tim Sweeney, he sees it as appropriate since the console business is smaller than the mobile business, justifying the percentage split.
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