A London tribunal is pushing for the $7.9 billion lawsuit against Sony filed last year, alleging the company's abuse of PlayStation's market dominance.
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Sony Allegedly Abuses PlayStation's Market Dominance in UK
Last year, Sony Interactive Entertainment was sued after several consumers complained about the digital games and add-on content through the PlayStation Store. It is stated that the abuse is evident with Sony requiring all the digital games and add-ons to be bought and sold through the store only.
Alex Neill, who is a consumer advocate representing the fight against Sony, detailed that the company charges a 30% commission to developers and publishers. The lawsuit added that customers have paid higher prices for their purchases due to this big charge.
Neill called it an "anti-competitive" strategy and has published a site detailing the scenario online. "Sony has been exploiting its UK customers by charging them too much for PlayStation digital games and in-game content via its control over the entire PlayStation ecosystem," the site stated.
Sony Wants the Lawsuit to Drop
In a Reuters report, Sony's legal panel called the case "flawed from start to finish" and stated that it should be thrown out. While the case could push through, people who made purchases from the PlayStation Store after the case was filed last year should be removed as claimants.
After the London tribunal's ruling, Neill acknowledged that this is only the first step in helping the consumers get back what they are owed. Sony has yet to respond to the issue.
Meanwhile, anti-competitive practices are one of the most pressing issues that big tech companies are facing right now. Several regulators from different countries have been working actively to prevent such practices from prevailing.
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