“I Paid for It, Why Yours?” PS Store Lawsuit Begins
A class-action lawsuit in the US centers on whether phrases like “Buy Now” and “Confirm Purchase” on the PlayStation Store mislead consumers. Four California residents argue that these phrases create the impression that the digital games are actually theirs. Sony, however, says that transactions made through the store are not a transfer of ownership, but a clearly stated license to use.
In the PS Store Lawsuit, Sony Says “We Don’t Sell Games, We License Them”
On August 21, Sony Interactive Entertainment filed a motion with the Federal Court for the Northern District of California requesting that the case be sent to arbitration and that proceedings be suspended during the arbitration process. If the court rejects the arbitration request, the company also requests that the case be dismissed entirely. This application is Sony’s first comprehensive legal response to the lawsuit filed in June.
The plaintiffs’ main objection is based on the language used on the PS Store’s purchase screen. While the language used gives the impression that users are “purchasing” the game, it is stated that the right granted is actually a limited, non-exclusive, and revocable license. According to the plaintiffs, this crucial difference is not sufficiently clearly explained on the payment screen, and the user is not asked to separately confirm acceptance of the license terms.
Sony, however, argues that the current system complies with EU Regulation 2426, which came into effect in California in 2025. The company states that the payment screen links to the PlayStation Terms of Service and Software Product License Agreement, and that these texts clearly state that games are “licensed, not sold.” According to Sony, it is not possible for a reasonable consumer to assume that they are purchasing full ownership of the digital game based on this information.
The case is not yet concluded. As of August 31, the court has not ruled on either Sony’s claims or the plaintiffs’ allegations. The plaintiffs have until September 4 to respond, Sony has until September 11 to submit its counter-response, and the hearing is scheduled for October 1. The outcome of the case could set a significant precedent, affecting not only the PS Store but also how digital game stores use the language of “purchasing.”
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