Judge Dismisses PSN Banning Lawsuit

Judge Dismisses PSN Banning Lawsuit Judge Dismisses PSN Banning Lawsuit

A California judge last week ruled that the first amendment doesn't apply to the Playstation Network, and that Sony Entertainment America is free to ban PSN users.

The aforementioned decision was part of the verdict of a case filed by Erik Estavillo against SCEA this year after he was banned from the online gaming service and Sony's forums for allegedly violating multiple parts of the PSN user agreement.

Erik claimed that by banning him, the company has violated his first amendment right and requested $55,000 in relief, but the judge sided with Sony's point of view that the First Amendment "does not apply to the Network," and dismissed the case last week.

"There is no indication that Sony has assumed functions traditionally reserved to the government, or that the government had any part in encouraging Sony to create the Network," Judge Ronald Whyte wrote in his order.

"Count one of the complaint does not state a plausible First Amendment claim for relief, and therefore must be dismissed," the Judge added before explaining that Estavillo's claims failed to "contain sufficient factual matter to state a plausible federal claim to relief."