Selling faceplates for the PlayStation 5 seems to be a lost cause. Last year, a storefront called PlateStation, which was selling customized faceplates for the PS5, was forced to stop after threat of legal action from Sony. A few months later, Dbrand, known for their tech decals decided to get in on the market, by offering their own black faceplates called "darkplates" for the console, even going so far as to joke about the matter by advertising them and saying, "go ahead, sue us" to Sony. The latter took it seriously, as they've done just that. A cease and desist order was issued by Sony to Dbrand, which resulted in the latter being forced to remove their PS5 faceplates from sale; if you now attempt to visit the store page link for them, it redirects you to a list of news reports specifically about Dbrand taking the darkplates off the market.

Quotes from the letter were posted by Dbrand's marketing team to the brand's subreddit, with a breakdown of the incident from their point of view. Sony alleges that the shapes used on the darkplates infringe upon their trademarked PlayStation face button symbols. Dbrand clearly uses a cheeky spin on the PlayStation look by using the same square, circle, triangle, cross look: a cross-shaped skull and bones, a circular radioactive symbol, a square robot head, and a triangle with a rune in the center. That isn't the only issue with the darkplates, though, as further on in the letter, Sony's legal team mentions that "the two vertical faceplates has become exclusively associated with [Sony] in the minds of consumers, and has come to symbolize considerable goodwill", meaning they find the sale of third-party faceplates to be an issue regardless.

Quote from Dbrand:
While we strongly believe in the consumer's right to customize and modify their hardware with aftermarket components, your Darkplates are now a collector's item. You know what they say - you either die a Darkplates owner, or you live long enough to see yourself become the scalper.

In closing, fuck you and especially fuck Sony. Talk soon.

Source: Legal document (courtesy of Vox Media)

 

[Kioku]

Basically. Companies like Sony count on people caving to threats of legal action regardless of whether Sony has a case. This is a company that only kept their online store up because it got out that when the servers go down and the CMOS battery dies you can't play any games, and it affects both PS3, PS4, and allegedly PS5, which even has a digital only version that'll become a paperweight. There's no way they haven't known about that issue for years.

The thing that gets me more are the apologists. Not just for Sony.. But ANY company that pulls shit like this.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

The thing that gets me more are the apologists. Not just for Sony.. But ANY company that pulls shit like this.

The only good move is to send out one final EOL update for the PS3 and PS4 when their servers shut down disabling the DRM on the consoles since they won't be making any money from them. Also to just F off with frivolous lawsuits and threats thereof. Half the reason I don't have a PS5 is because of Sony's crappy practices in the last 5 or 6 years or so.

 

[Kioku]

The only good move is to send out one final EOL update for the PS3 and PS4 when their servers shut down disabling the DRM on the consoles since they won't be making any money from them. Also to just F off with frivolous lawsuits and threats thereof. Half the reason I don't have a PS5 is because of Sony's crappy practices in the last 5 or 6 years or so.

Pretty much how I see it too. Sony can find a cliff with their bullshit. The CMOS battery deal really is just the tip of the iceberg. Oh well. People will continue to feed them money, so.

 

[gnmmarechal]

That's pretty shit, hope Dbrand gets them back up at some point.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Sony has no grounds to stand on here... Dbrand needs to countersue.

Sony is counting on them not doing it because it costs a lot more for Dbrand than Sony subjectively at least. Sony will have attorneys on retainer.

 

[WG481]

Honestly, I could not care less. The PS5 scalping problem needs to resolve before I even remotely care about PS5.

 

[Kioku]

Sony is counting on them not doing it because it costs a lot more for Dbrand than Sony subjectively at least. Sony will have attorneys on retainer.

They countersue and force Sony to cover all legal fees. There's no way a judge rules in Sonys favor.

 

[SS4]

Console gaming is getting worse every year and BS like that are great exemple . . .
I used to own most console since the Atari days but the PS3 and Wii are the last console i ever bought and i'm pretty much only on PC nowadays although i still have my older consoles including some modded ones.

 

[xdarkx]

I feel like even if Dbrand didn't dare Sony to sue them, they will still sue them eventually.

 

[x021]

Every big company is evil nowadays, yet we continue you to buy their product like some NPCs. Makes me sick.

 

[LeyendaV]

When Nintendo does this kind of stuff, everybody lose their minds. When Sony does it, everybody laughs. But then they go and say they don't aren't Nintendo haters.

 

[Impossible_Igntiz]

Console gaming is getting worse every year and BS like that are great exemple . . .
I used to own most console since the Atari days but the PS3 and Wii are the last console i ever bought and i'm pretty much only on PC nowadays although i still have my older consoles including some modded ones.

Same, last playstation consoles i touched was PS4 (launch) and Vita years before finally getting parts for my PC and the only console i own nowadays is a modded Switch and that's it.

 

[Spider_Man]

This is a ?? Story, sony taking action against custom cases is a new.

Sony dont have any right unless it is using their branded name as promotion.

But if true, then fuck me, theyre as bad as nintendont finding ways to sue everyone rather than focus on making games.

 

[andyhappypants]

Vote with your wallets, F*ck you $ony

 

[kehkou]

how are faceplates illegal? i mean there are faceplates for 3ds consoles for years, phone covers and so on, and a faceplate is just plastic so i dont think sony can stop anyone from making plastic plates that happen to fit into a ps5 console... unless they pust ps logo on them i dont see any grounds to forbid anyone imo.

switch has so many custom stuff to buy like buttons and covers and shells and whatnot and now sony doesnt want to allow ps5 to be costumizable?

im guessing they really want to sell those special edition ps5 consoles down the line where the only difference will be faceplates.

Yes, it's the logo they used; the thing about the vertical shapes is baseless.

 

[tabzer]

Sony's legal team mentions that "the two vertical faceplates has become exclusively associated with [Sony] in the minds of consumers, and has come to symbolize considerable goodwill",

Sounds like they are pretty liberal when it comes to rationalization.

Nobody who gets a 3rd party plate is thinking of Sony's good will. Quite the opposite really.

In other news, I have Sony goodwill dark matte PS5 plates for sale.

 

[raxadian]

im pretty sure microsoft does less spying than facebook, google, twitter, apple, etc

Have you heard of Windows 10 and now Windows 11?

 

[Plazorn]

How unfortunate, I guess I will just have to use the Aliexpress knock offs instead.

 

[diggeloid]

im pretty sure microsoft does less spying than facebook, google, twitter, apple, etc

They probably collect a few kilobytes-per-second less than Facebook, so you might technically be right.

 

[Dr_Faustus]

Chances are they plan on releasing a Black Version of the PS5 probably this coming holiday season and thought that these third party shells are some how going to cut in on their potential sales, because you know that is really going to slow the sale of these already limited and overly scalped consoles.


Same as it ever was, fuck Sony for their anti-consumer practices.