Sony Argues "Reasonable Consumers" Know They Don't Own Digital Games

Sony's legal team has argued that "reasonable consumers" already understand that they do not actually own the digital games they purchase on the PlayStation Store. This defense comes in response to a class-action lawsuit filed against Sony by four customers. The claimants argue that the PlayStation Store's disclosures fail to adequately comply with a California law surrounding digital ownership set for 2025, which requires companies to make it clear that customers are not owed permanent access to a digital product simply because they paid for it.

According to the lawsuit, terms such as "Buy Now" and "Confirm Purchase" imply actual ownership rather than a temporary or limited license to access a game. While the PlayStation Store links to Sony's Terms of Service and Software Product Licensing Agreement (SPLA) during checkout, the language stating that virtual content is licensed rather than owned appears several hundred words deep into those legal documents.

In a court filing submitted on August 21, Sony fired back against the claims, stating that most reasonable consumers would not be misled by the platform's disclosures. The console manufacturer further argued that digital buyers inherently know they do not truly own what they purchase. To support this logic, the legal filing pointed out that multiple people are able to buy the same digital game—such as Resident Evil Requiem—at different times, which would be impossible if the first purchaser maintained absolute ownership rather than Sony.

This legal battle unfolds as Sony navigates broader controversies regarding physical media. Earlier in the summer, the publisher announced plans to cease the manufacturing of physical game discs for new PlayStation titles by January 2028.