Sony is set to face a lawsuit worth up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion) over allegations that the PlayStation maker abused its dominant position, resulting in unfair pricing to customers, a London court ruled on Tuesday.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was sued last year on behalf of nearly nine million people in the UK who purchased digital games or add-on content through Sony’s PlayStation Store.
Alex Neal, a consumer advocate who has worked on previous campaigns, brought the case against Sony. It says the company abused its dominant position by requiring the purchase and sale of digital games and add-ons only through the PlayStation Store, which charges a 30% commission to developers and publishers.
The prosecution argues that customers paid higher prices for games and additional content than they otherwise would have.
Sony’s lawyers claimed the case was “flawed from beginning to end” and said it should be dismissed.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that Neal’s case could proceed, although it said that people who made purchases from the PlayStation Store after the case was opened in 2022 should be removed from the proposed class of claimants.
Tuesday’s decision was “the first step to ensuring consumers get what they deserve,” Neal said in a statement. Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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