Sony Could (But Probably Won’t) Pay Millions Over Old PS3 Lawsuit

All the way back in 2010, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Sony after the ability to run Linux on the PS3 was removed. Last week, after six years of haggling, the company agreed to pay up.

As Ars Technica report, the decision was made last Friday, and—provided the judge agrees to Sony’s terms—will see anyone who used Linux on their PS3 able to claim $55. Those who went out and bought a PS3 because the ability to run Linux on it had been advertised can claim an additional $9.

Specifically, those eligible need to be have purchased a “Fat” (launch) PS3 model “in the United States between November 1, 2006, and April 1, 2010″, and be able to “attest under oath to their purchase of the product and installation of Linux, provide proof of their purchase or serial number and PlayStation Network Sign-in ID, and submit some proof of their use of the Other OS functionality.”

Those are a lot of hoops to jump through for such an old purchase, so while Sony’s payouts have a technical ceiling of around 10 million people (the number of Fat PS3s sold in the US in that time), the real winners here are probably the lawyers who brought the suit, who were awarded “up to $2.25 million in attorneys’ fees”.