Sony is defending its digital game sales in court by arguing that reasonable PlayStation users understand they are buying a licence to use a game, rather than actually owning it.
The argument comes from a legal response to a lawsuit filed in California by four PlayStation users. The plaintiffs claim Sony's PlayStation Store makes digital games look like products that customers are buying outright, rather than software they are being licensed to use.
Part of their complaint focuses on the wording customers see when purchasing a game. Buttons such as “Buy Now” and “Confirm Purchase”, they argue, can give the impression that the customer is purchasing the game itself.
Sony disagrees. The company points to its Software Licence Agreement and PlayStation Terms of Service, which explain that digital software is licensed to the customer rather than transferred as property.
Sony's lawyers also argue that it would not be reasonable for a customer to believe they had obtained ownership of a digital copy when the same game can be sold to thousands of other people.
The company's filing points to Resident Evil Requiem as an example. Two of the plaintiffs purchased the game separately in February 2026. Sony argues that the second purchase would not have been possible if the first customer had actually become the owner of the digital game.
That does not mean Sony has established a legal rule that consumers cannot own digital games. The point is part of Sony's defence in an ongoing lawsuit, in which the plaintiffs are challenging whether the way digital purchases are presented to customers complies with California law.
The case could therefore have implications beyond this particular dispute. Digital purchases have become a major part of the way players buy games, while the distinction between buying a game and buying a licence to use a game is still something many consumers may not think about when they click the purchase button.
For now, the court has not ruled in favour of either side. Sony's comments are its position in the case, rather than a final decision on whether PlayStation's current approach is legally acceptable.
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Webmastahhh is the creator of Mastanet, a gaming and technology website where he shares news, reviews, guides and personal insights about games, hardware, software and the future of digital entertainment.
