this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2026
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With the end of physical PlayStation games looming, the need for clear digital ownership rights is more pressing than ever.

For its part, Sony believes your rights are very clear: you do not own your digital games, and it's unlikely you're stupid enough to believe otherwise. At least, that's roughly the argument the company's lawyers are presenting in response to a proposed class-action lawsuit.

Sony argues that its current customer-facing disclosures ensure that "reasonable consumers would not be misled" into believing they actually own their digital games. That's according to a Game File report (paid article link) citing an August 21 filing Sony's lawyers made in California's Northern District.

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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 35 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I don't think anyone expects that they are buying the exclusive copyright license for reproduction. People just want to own their copies. You know like with books.

We want this for our games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine

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[–] judgy_jackdaw@lemmy.world 202 points 4 days ago (3 children)

if only one person can buy GTA 6, how can more than one person rent GTA 6?

[–] zecg@lemmy.world 49 points 4 days ago (3 children)

The answer is always the human centipede

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[–] WesternInfidels@feddit.online 22 points 4 days ago

Son it's time we talked about fractional reserve banking

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[–] Lydon_Feen@lemmy.world 159 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Oh really? Then it's not a store, and it's not a sale. It's a leasing office and a lease.

[–] Wakko@hell.cloud 115 points 4 days ago (3 children)

If buying isn't owning, then pirating isn't theft.

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[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 38 points 4 days ago

Good point. Don’t say we’re buying it. They use the terminology of ownership when you’re paying money.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 28 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (6 children)

Actually this is an alright solution.

They should be forced to change the name of their platform if they want to keep using it. They should be barred from using the term "store".

They can either continue their business model as is, (as "PlayStation Leasing") or they can change their policy to include full ownership of games and the right to transfer the games they own to other accounts.

But they don't get to call it a "store" or use words like "buy" or "sale" if that's not what they're actually offering.

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[–] levophed@lemmy.zip 19 points 3 days ago

Yep so all the piracy that goes around isn't illegal either right?

[–] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 111 points 4 days ago (1 children)

They dont need to keep trying to convice me to never buy another Sony/ Rockstar product. They keep giving more reasons though.

[–] RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world 33 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Sony convinced me that years ago when they sold me an expensive af dvd camcorder and then they hobbled it so it was unusable unless you edited in their crappy software and exported it through their expensive dongles.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 28 points 4 days ago (2 children)

They lost me when they removed basic functionality from the PS3 by update. They lost my dad with betamax.

[–] AzuranAurora@piefed.ca 30 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Also can't forget when they installed a rootkit on your computer for DRM purposes. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.

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[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 99 points 4 days ago (6 children)

... wait. That's not obvious. If it was obvious, it wouldn't be a "Buy now" it would be like a "Purchase License."

Because thats literally how the rest of the software industry works.

[–] oyzmo@piefed.social 40 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Purchase time limited license

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[–] crapwittyname@feddit.uk 19 points 3 days ago

Oh, right, so it's all just one copy that we're all sharing, then? Here's an idea in that case: let's cut out the middleman, and I'll share my copy of it with all of you for an agreed price.
Free is my first, best and final offer.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 79 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

The solution seems easy enough, don't buy or rent anything from Sony until the issue is resolved.

This is fixable if consumers band together. Nobody needs to game on a PlayStation (or play GTA on PC/PlayStation), we need water, food, shelter not GTA6

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (13 children)

The solution seems easy enough, don’t buy or rent anything from Sony until the issue is resolved.

This will never work in America. I know people who already bought a PS5 just for this and pre-ordered (!) the game at $1000000 or whatever they're charging.

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[–] zecg@lemmy.world 88 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Following that logic, pirating software is quite all right, no one is stupid enough to believe someone loses if they make a copy.

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 21 points 4 days ago

Not just software. Anything digital that is protected by copyright. Sony has massive media holdings in the television, movie, and music industries. Here's Wikipedia's list of assets owned by Sony.

Sony can't speak for everybody who owns a copyright, but it does seem like they're making the sort of argument where the logical end result is that they're giving everybody permission to copy any Sony media without paying.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 4 days ago (7 children)

So by that logic, I am the only owner of a 2016 Subaru Impreza in the entire world.

The Highlander saying “there can be only one!”

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[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 58 points 4 days ago

If that's so obvious, then why not state it clearly on the packaging?

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

If I can't own the game, then you're not getting my money. Piracy is the only way to actually own it.

[–] SpaceTimeInterval@lemmy.cafe 28 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Do they want piracy? Because that's how you make it morally legitimate.

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 7 points 3 days ago

Morally compulsory I'd say. Don't give them a dime

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[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 41 points 4 days ago

So when we bought games on disc, who was the one person who owned the game? John Sony San, who lives at the top of Sony Tower in Sony Plaza?

Lol this weasel logic they'll use to justify their petty greed is ridiculous...

[–] Tiral@lemmy.zip 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Wish people could actually have the willpower to effectively boycott anything enough to later. Happens with iPhone every year, they bitch and moan about it being the hand phone, then go buy one.

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[–] JustTheWind@lemmy.world 27 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Right, like, how "owning" a car means that you need to purchase the entire means of production required to produce said car, including all patents and trademarks.

This guy is somehow multi-rail drifting his pseudo-capitalist argument with like, a cartoon version of communism. It's like he dropped acid and decided to become Frankenstein's Economist.

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[–] bl4ckp1xx13@lemmy.dbzer0.com 46 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Ah yes, because I own my pair of jeans, or my hoodie, I'm the only person in the world with a pair of jeans and a hoodie...

[–] Madrigal@lemmy.world 81 points 4 days ago (2 children)

A book would be better example.

You might not own the IP, but you sure as hell own an object containing that IP, which you have an eternal, irrevocable and transferrable license to use.

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[–] Erusset@slrpnk.net 17 points 4 days ago

Until they change every storefront to say rent instead of buy/purchase/etc I will believe it.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

That's the nice thing in digital; i own a lossless copy of it. Without your DRM, btw.

[–] BigBoyShuanzee@aussie.zone 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I'm 37 I won't challenge that, I don't buy digital games until they're at least 50% off. Most of the time I only buy digital games when they're 75-90% off.

Now Sony, Nintendo and Steam (mostly Sony/Nintendo) are misunderstanding me. I've got so many games to play, so many physical games. I don't need the latest EA trash, I don't need the newest boring uninspired PlayStation exclusive.

I've got games for many many months to play. I've got so many SNES, PS1 and PS2 games to play.

And when I run out I've got so many books to read.

American Sony can chortle my balls. I miss PS1, PS2 and PS3 Japanese Sony

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[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 20 points 4 days ago

That's not what ownership of digital copies means, fuckshits.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

A digital file is a physical object and you can make copies for individuals to use. I don't believe the Sony lawyers are stupid enough to believe otherwise.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I own a copy of the game.....

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[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 28 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I just checked with my wife, giving her no context other than checking out, having paid for a game. She doesn't understand and said it's a bunch of bullshit. She doesn't even play games, she just gets them for someone else as a gift.

Apparently you can't gift a game because it's never yours to give.

[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Sony has been going to shit at LEAST ever since their fucking 2011 hack and online shutdown. Endless stupid decisions one after another. Trash.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 11 points 4 days ago

There is credible evidence to believe that after Sony JP fumbled the PS3 launch, and was losing market share to the Xbox 360, Sony US stepped in and took the reins after righting the ship in the latter half of that console generation.

This is what I predominantly blame for the myriad of bad (anti-consumer) decisions made from the PS4 onwards.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Sony argues that its current customer-facing disclosures ensure that “reasonable consumers would not be misled” into believing they actually own their digital games.

They can make that argument, but I think they'll have a hard time finding evidence to support it. Judges aren't stupid, but they can be corrupt, however.

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[–] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 24 points 4 days ago (7 children)

I was gonna buy a new PlayStation but now I'm not.

Did they teach this in business school? Repulsing customers for profit.

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