New Terms of Service Prevents Future Class Action Lawsuits.

[The Squirrel]

Interesting tidbit of news coming out of today's new User Agreement for the PSN:

Starting today, there is an update being implemented to the PlayStation Network Terms of Service. Buried in the text is a clause that essentially forbids users from taking part in a class action lawsuit against Sony.

Here's the text:

ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS, WHETHER IN ARBITRATION OR COURT, WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR AS A NAMED OR UNNAMED MEMBER IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LEGALACTION, UNLESS BOTH YOU AND THE SONY ENTITY WITH WHICH YOU HAVE A DISPUTE SPECIFICALLY AGREE TO DO SO IN WRITING FOLLOWING INITIATION OF THE ARBITRATION. THIS PROVISION DOES NOT PRECLUDE YOUR PARTICIPATION AS A MEMBER IN A
CLASS ACTION FILED ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 20, 2011.

Source

They do give you a way to opt out of it, by hand written letter.

 

[KALEL114]

This is just to prevent Class Action lawsuits.You can still sue them individually. Lets be honest though, 99% of CA are just greedy money grabs anyways. I can see other companies do this as well.

 

[The Squirrel]

Yeah, I went with the more dramatic title.

 

[KALEL114]

Haha.

 

[The Squirrel]

New Website makes mailing in a letter even easier:

Many game companies are now inserting class-action lawsuit prevention clauses in their EULAs. The only way to get out of these is to physically mail a letter to them. We think it’s absurd you can’t do it online.

Well, now you can.

Gamers Opt Out

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

EA done the same thing with origin.