Sony claims consumers already know they don't own digital games

Sony is fighting a proposed class action lawsuit in California by arguing that no reasonable consumer actually believes they own a digital game when they buy one from the PlayStation Store. The company filed its defense against plaintiffs Edward Heycock and Jason Mendoza, who claim Sony isn't properly disclosing that digital purchases are licenses, not ownership.

Sony's filing, reported by Game File, leans on a pointed logical argument: if Mendoza truly owned Resident Evil Requiem after buying it on February 14, 2026, then Heycock wouldn't have been able to buy the same game from the PlayStation Store on February 25, 2026 for $69.99 — because Mendoza, not Sony, would have owned it. The company's broader position is that digital licensing is common knowledge in 2025, and that the terms of service make the arrangement clear. The lawsuit was prompted by California's AB 2426, a 2025 law requiring platforms to display a "clear and conspicuous" warning that digital purchases can be revoked at any time for any reason. Plaintiffs argue Sony's current storefront — which still uses a "Buy" button — doesn't meet that standard.

The case lands at a particularly awkward moment for Sony. The company recently confirmed it will stop producing physical game discs starting with the PS6 generation, meaning digital licensing will become the only option for PlayStation players going forward. Sony also recently sent a notification to European players reminding them that digital purchases don't constitute ownership — timing that drew widespread mockery. The court is currently deciding whether the case proceeds to arbitration or moves forward as a class action, which would determine whether Sony's ownership argument ever gets properly tested.

If the lawsuit advances, it could force Sony to replace the PlayStation Store's "Buy" button with something more legally accurate — like "Purchase a digital license." Given the PS6's disc-free direction, how Sony frames digital transactions is only going to matter more, not less.