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Sony Faces Lawsuit over Alleged 'Sony Tax' on Digital PlayStation Games
- A consumer rights organization in the Netherlands has initiated a class-action lawsuit against Sony, alleging unfair pricing practices on the PlayStation Store.
- The lawsuit centers on allegations that Sony abuses its control of the Dutch console market—where it holds a dominant position of roughly 80%—by charging digital game prices that are about 47% higher than those of their physical counterparts.
- Sony restricts other digital storefronts from its platform, blocks rival app stores, and controls pricing decisions, which critics say stifles competition and inflates game costs.
- Sony failed to dismiss the suit in 2023, the trial will begin on March 2, 2026, and the lawsuit calls the price disparity the 'Sony tax.'
- If successful, the lawsuit could force Sony to open its digital content market to competitors, potentially lowering prices and increasing consumer choice.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Sony faces lawsuit over alleged 'Sony Tax' on digital PlayStation games
Sony is facing a class action lawsuit in the Netherlands over allegations of monopolistic practices related to its pricing of digital games and downloadable content (DLC). The claim, led by the 'Fair PlayStation' campaign, accuses the company of imposing what consumers have dubbed the "Sony tax," alleging that digital versions of PlayStation games are sold at an average of 47% higher prices compared to their physical counterparts. The legal acti…
Sony faces another class-action lawsuit over PlayStation Store prices and monopolistic practices
According to the legal representatives of the 'Fair PlayStation' campaign, at least 1.7 million Dutch PlayStation owners pay too much for their digital downloads. Economic research shows consumers pay an average of 47% more for digital versions than for the exact same game on a physical disc.Read Entire Article
The Netherlands Sues Sony Over Digital-Only PlayStation Consoles!
According to the lawsuit, 1.7 million citizens have suffered damages exceeding €435 million since 2013 due to their inability to purchase disc-based (used) games. A class action lawsuit has been filed in the European Union against Sony, accusing the company of charging artificially high prices on the PlayStation Store. The lawsuit claims that Sony’s monopoly and control over pricing within its own storefront have cost Dutch PlayStation users €…
Cassandra Crossing articles are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 | Cassandra Crossing is a column created by Marco Calamari with the "nom de plume" of Cassandra, born in 2005. Good times when someone still cared about DRM… This article was written on November 11, 2005 by Cassandra Cassandra Crossing 10/ Does Sony DRM help a Trojan? Storm over the company A class action lawsuit has been launched in the United States while Sony is being hit with compla…
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