Sony’s logo displayed in front of its headquarters in Tokyo on February 16, 2023.Reuters/Kazunari Kato/File photo Obtaining license rights
LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Sony (6758.T) faces a class action lawsuit worth up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion), accusing the PlayStation maker of abusing its dominant position and resulting in unfair prices for customers. A London court has ruled that it is necessary to Tuesday.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was sued last year on behalf of around 9 million people in the UK who purchased digital games and add-ons through Sony’s PlayStation Store.
Alex Neil, a consumer advocate who has worked on previous campaigns, is suing Sony for up to 5 billion pounds ($6.23 billion), plus interest.
Her lawyers said the total damages in the case filed in court last month could be up to £6.3 billion.
She said the company abused its dominant position by requiring digital games and add-ons to be bought and sold only through the PlayStation Store and charging developers and publishers a 30% fee.
As a result, customers claim they paid higher prices for games and additional content than they should have.
Sony’s lawyers argued that the lawsuit was “flawed from beginning to end” and that it should be thrown out.
The Competition Appeal Court has ruled that Neil’s case can proceed, but people who made purchases on the PlayStation Store after the case was filed in 2022 will be excluded from the proposed class of plaintiffs. said it should be excluded.
Neal said in a statement that Tuesday’s ruling is “a first step toward ensuring consumers get back the money they are owed.” Sony did not respond to a request for comment.
($1 = 0.8025 pounds)
Report by Sam Tobin.Editing: Aurora Ellis and Jonathan Oatis
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