PlayStation Store lawsuit: Sony asks court to dismiss digital ownership claims

Sony Corporation of America has asked a California court to toss a proposed class action over PlayStation Store purchases, arguing that when you “buy” a digital game there, you’re getting a revocable software license, not permanent ownership. That argument appears in a motion to dismiss filed in the case.

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In Heycock v. Sony Corporation of America, the company says the PlayStation Store’s checkout flow already makes that clear before payment and also links to the full terms. On that basis, Sony argues that words like “buy” and “purchase” aren’t misleading under California’s AB 2426, which took effect in January 2025 and requires clear disclosures when digital goods are licensed rather than owned.

Sony also argues that customers shouldn’t reasonably expect “true ownership” of a digital product that can be replicated infinitely. In the filing, it points to the fact that multiple customers, including two of the plaintiffs, bought the same game just days apart.

If you regularly buy digital PlayStation games, this is a case to keep an eye on, especially since Sony has said it plans to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation titles starting in January 2028.

For now, this is a California dispute over how the PlayStation Store sells games. Still, the ruling could end up shaping how U.S. storefronts describe digital purchases as pressure builds more broadly, from Europe’s “Stop Killing Games” campaign to proposed rules in Brazil and consumer groups pushing on digital rights and preservation.