Sony Faces Class-Action Lawsuit For Alleged Monopoly Of Digital Downloads

It seems that Epic Games’ legal battle against Apple has opened the door for other anti-monopoly lawsuits. According to Bloomberg, Sony Interactive Entertainment is now facing a class-action suit for forcing consumers to purchase digital PlayStation games exclusively from the PlayStation Store.

Up until two years ago, players had the option to buy download codes from third-party retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The PlayStation Store is now the only place where users can buy digital games, which the lawsuit claims allows Sony to charge higher prices due to lack of competition and as much as 175% more for a digital copy of a game compared to a physical disc.

“Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games, which are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games,” stated the lawsuit.

The class-action suit has been filed in the Northern District Court of California. Meanwhile, the Epic Games vs. Apple antitrust battle is facing challenges with trade secrets being leaked left and right.