The Sony logo is displayed outside the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File photo acquire license rights
LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Sony (6758.T) faces a massive lawsuit worth up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion) over allegations that the PlayStation maker allegedly abused its dominant position, leading to unfair prices for customers, a London court has ruled. Tuesday.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was sued last year on behalf of almost nine million people in the UK who purchased digital games or add-on content through Sony’s PlayStation Store.
Alex Neill, a consumer advocate who has worked on previous campaigns, is filing a lawsuit against Sony. She claims the company abused its dominant position by requiring digital games and add-ons to be bought and sold only through the PlayStation Store, which charges developers and publishers a 30% commission.
The claim alleges that customers therefore paid higher prices for games and additional content than they would have.
Sony’s lawyers argued the case was “flawed from start to finish” and said it should be thrown out.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that Neill’s case can continue, while stating that people who made purchases on the PlayStation Store after the case was filed in 2022 should be removed from the proposed group of claimants .
Neill said in a statement that Tuesday’s decision was “the first step in ensuring consumers get back what they are owed.” Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Aurora Ellis
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