We’ve known for some time that Sony PlayStation was in some legal trouble in the UK over alleged abuse of its position as the market leader in the country between 2016 and 2022 over how the PlayStation Store was run and run. Alex Neill filed a class action lawsuit claiming that Sony is ripping off customers by charging a 30% commission on any sales on its store (a figure we’ve seen on other storefronts as well), though It seems unlikely that such a claim will amount to anything, but in this case an important step forward has been taken.
Has now been issued notify stating that if you bought anything on the PlayStation Store between August 19, 2016 and August 19, 2022, you may be eligible for compensation of between £67 and £562, and that the UK courts have granted the claimant the right to continue proceedings. Order.
The claim states, “ The claim is against (1) Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited and (2) Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Limited (the “Defendants”), whom the Class Representative alleges that they have abused their dominant position in breach of UK and EU competition law. The class representative said that the defendants abused their dominant position by imposing unfair terms on developers/publishers of digital PlayStation games and add-on content, which the class representative claimed meant that consumers were forced to purchase these products from the PlayStation Store when the defendants could A 30% commission is charged there. As a result, the Class Representative alleged that Class Members were overcharged for these products.
Of course, this doesn’t actually mean much to anyone seeking compensation. Indeed, the order neither means the case will win nor that it will end any time soon if it does, but it is a step forward in a case that seemed unlikely.
It’s unclear why the lawsuit targets only Sony when Microsoft, Nintendo, and Valve (via Steam) also impose similar commissions on their stores.
