Sony says reasonable consumers know digital games are licensed

Sony's August 21 court filing argues that reasonable consumers know digital PlayStation game purchases provide limited licenses rather than ownership. The filing says four plaintiffs filed a class-action complaint on June 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs claim that Sony violated state law AB 2426. Sony cites its Terms of Service and Software Product License Agreement. Both documents say the software is licensed rather than sold. The motion says it is not plausible that reasonable consumers believed they were buying ownership of a digital game. The filing highlights two plaintiffs who bought Resident Evil Requiem for $69.99. The plaintiffs made the purchases 11 days apart in February 2026. Sony uses the purchases to argue that multiple buyers can acquire the same title in a digital marketplace. Sony also emailed account holders that purchases are personal licenses for private use only. Sony separately announced that it will stop producing physical discs for new games starting January 2028. The lawsuit remains ongoing in federal court.