Sony sued for digital game sales tax

Sony, the Japanese gaming and electronics giant, is the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the UK seeking 5 billion pounds (about 5.9 billion euros or $) for abusing a dominant position in PlayStation-related sales.

According to a note posted on the website dedicated to the lawsuit, “playstationyouoweus.co.uk” (Playstationyouoweus.co.uk) (PlayStation You owe us, in English), the complaint was filed by consumer protection platform Resolve on August 19, in the Court of Cassation. , on behalf of nearly nine million Sony PlayStation console customers in the country.

In the lawsuit, Sony and PlayStation were accused of violating competition laws and “stealing people” by making them pay a 30% commission on every digital game or in-game purchase on the PlayStation Store.

“Video games are now the main form of entertainment in the UK, ahead of TV, video and music (…). Sony shares are costing millions to people who can’t afford to pay, especially when we are in the midst of a crisis,” Alex Neil, Resolve’s general manager, said in a statement. : “The cost of living.”

AFP requested a response from Sony, but has not yet received a response.

Game developer Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has also entered a legal dispute with Apple over its App Store business model.

In November, a US federal judge forced the giant Cupertino to change its model, which appealed the ruling.