Sony Will Soon Settle A PlayStation Store Class Action Lawsuit For $7.8 Million

A federal judge in San Francisco granted preliminary approval of a $7.85 million settlement for a class action lawsuit that accused Sony of eliminating competition and monopolizing the market for digital games through the PlayStation Store. The lawsuit, filed in May 2021, alleges that Sony's anticompetitive conduct caused gamers to pay more than they otherwise would have. The legal action stems from Sony's elimination of game-specific vouchers sold by third-party companies in April 2019, which the lawsuit argued could have resulted in lower prices if customers had alternative options through other retailers. The law firm representing affected users posted a list of eligible games, including "The Last of Us," "NBA 2K18" and "Need for Speed Rivals," and stated there are more than 4.4 million eligible PlayStation Network accounts. Eligible users will see their PSN account credited once final approvals are in. The court will hold a Fairness Hearing on October 15 to finalize the judgment and the plan for allocating the funds. This lawsuit is separate from another similar legal action filed in the UK, which accuses Sony of "unfairly charging its UK customers too much for digital games and in-game content purchased through the PlayStation Store." Unlike this recent settlement, Sony could pay up to $2.7 billion to UK residents as a result of alleged antitrust actions.

(Source：Engadget)