The court has dismissed the antitrust lawsuit filed against Sony Interactive Entertainment which alleged that the PlayStation Store has become a monopoly. On Friday, Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California dismissed the case, stating plaintiffs have failed to prove that Sony’s online store violates antitrust laws.
In 2019, Sony made the decision to cease allowing third-party stores to sell codes for digital PlayStation games. The move was met with criticism by consumers, who alleged that this practice allows Sony to charge a premium for games via its online store — up to 175% more, according to the lawsuit. Per a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson at the time, “The decision was made in order to align key businesses globally.”
In 2021, a group of consumers filed a lawsuit against Sony, arguing that the company was unfairly monopolizing the sale of its digital games in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
“Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games, which are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games,” the filing states.
However, the plaintiffs were unable to prove that Sony’s actions amounted to a monopoly, according to Judge Seeborg’s ruling.
“The motion to dismiss is granted because plaintiffs have failed to allege adequately anticompetitive conduct under the Sherman Act, and the other claims are derivative of the Sherman Act claims,” stated Judge Seeborg. “Although it is unclear at this time if the deficiencies may be cured, plaintiff is granted leave to amend.”
A similar suit was also filed last year against Valve, but in that case, the judge ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor.
