Sony Says PlayStation Argues Against Physical Discs In Court
Sony has argued that buying a digital game through the PlayStation Store does not give players ownership of the title. Instead, customers receive a license allowing them to access and use the software.
The company outlined its position in an August 21 court filing responding to a class-action lawsuit. The case accuses Sony of failing to provide disclosures required under California’s 2025 Digital Goods Law.
According to the filing, reported by Game File, Sony believes customers cannot reasonably expect to own digital games because the software is licensed rather than permanently sold to them.
PlayStation Purchases Grant a License
Sony’s legal team pointed to the PlayStation Software Product License Agreement, which clearly states: “The Software is licensed to you, not sold.”
To support its argument, Sony used Resident Evil Requiem as an example. The company claimed that if purchasing a digital game transferred full ownership, Sony would no longer be able to sell the same title to another customer.
The filing referenced two customers who purchased Resident Evil Requiem on different dates. Sony argued that the second transaction would not have been possible if the first buyer had gained ownership of the game itself.
Based on this reasoning, Sony says consumers living in the digital age should understand that purchasing downloadable software provides usage rights rather than ownership of the underlying product.
PlayStation Terms Define “Buy” Differently
PlayStation’s Terms of Service also address the language used throughout its digital storefront.
Section 10 explains that words such as “buy,” “purchase,” and “own” do not represent a transfer of ownership.
This applies to the content, software, data, and intellectual property connected to digital PlayStation products.
In practice, players are purchasing permission to access a game under Sony’s licensing conditions. They do not receive the same ownership rights normally associated with buying a physical item.
