Sony Accused Violating Competition Law in Gaming Risks Fine of 5.9 Million Euros

Sony is being sued for nearly €6 billion for allegedly violating competition law and abusing market power to impose unfair terms on game publishers and developers, driving up prices for customers.

Sony awaits a $5 billion lawsuit as allegations of overcharging customers for digital purchases have been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK. A class action filed against the company. She accuses him of “scam” customers with overpriced digital games and in-game purchases.

Led by consumer rights advocate Alex Neill, the complaint alleges that Sony is abusing its dominant market position to impose unfair terms on game developers and publishers, including by charging fees. 30% commission on any digital game or in-game purchase on PlayStation Store. According to the complaint, this would drive up prices for consumers.

Sony overcharges its customers in the PlayStation Store

“With this legal action, I am standing up for the millions of Britons who have unwittingly overcharged,” Neill said. “We believe Sony has abused its position and defrauded its customers.” However, it should be remembered that 30% commissions are quite common in the industry, as they are also applied by Apple in the Apple Store or by Google in the Play Store. It is therefore unclear why the complaint is only directed at Sony and not at other companies that have similar practices. Google, for its part, has nevertheless recently reduced the commission of its application store in Europe to just 12%.

All UK residents who have purchased digital games or additional content directly from PlayStation Store since August 19, 2016, will be affected by the complaint and may receive compensation. It appears that the net of interest, the estimated damage per person is between £67 and £562. In total, customers would have been charged £5bn too much, or nearly €5.9m.

If Sony were to lose its lawsuit, the company might have to reimburse the injured customers in full. Fortunately, if you live in the UK and you’re a PlayStation user, you don’t have to pay anything to take part in this promotion.