Sony Tells Court: You Don't Actually Own the Digital Games You Buy

Have you ever paid for a game on an online store? You might assume it's yours forever. But Sony has just told a US court that you don't actually own the digital games you buy on the PlayStation Store — you only "license" them.

What happened? In June, four PlayStation customers in California filed what's called a class action (a lawsuit where a group of people sue together over the same problem). They claim that Sony's "Buy Now" and "Confirm Purchase" buttons trick shoppers into thinking they own the game, when in reality they only get a revocable license (permission to use the game that Sony can take away).

The lawsuit is based on a California law called AB 2426, which started in January 2025. This law says sellers can't use words like "buy" or "purchase" for digital goods unless they clearly tell you, in plain language, that you're only getting a license — not full ownership.

Sony's defense (filed August 21) makes two main points:

• Its checkout already discloses the license terms — but the wording is buried deep in fine print (the eighth of 18 sections in its Terms of Service).
• Ownership is "not plausible" because two different customers bought the exact same game 11 days apart. If the first buyer truly owned it, Sony argues, the second person couldn't have bought it too.

What Sony really wants: Its top request is to move the case out of court and into arbitration (a private process where a neutral referee decides the outcome, instead of a public jury). Sony's terms also include a class action waiver, meaning customers must sue one-by-one, not as a group. This lowers Sony's risk.

Why this matters: Sony plans to stop making physical game discs from January 2028, meaning digital purchases will soon be the only way to get new games. The company is also reportedly planning a stablecoin (a cryptocurrency tied to the US dollar) for purchases across its platforms.

The judge hasn't ruled yet — but the case could reshape what "buying" a digital product really means.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://decrypt.co/376935/sony-argues-in-court-that-digital-games-cant-be-owned