Sony sued over Other OS removal

A Californian man is suing Sony over the removal of the Other OS feature from PlayStation 3.

The feature allowed users to install alternative operating systems, such as Linux. It was disabled via firmware update 3.21.

Now a chap called Anthony Ventura has filed a lawsuit referring to the "intentional disablement of the valuable functionality originally advertised as available". (You can see the full suit over on IGN.) Ventura claims Sony has broken the terms of its sales contract and engaged in deception "perpetrated on millions of unsuspecting customers".

He reckons the feature was removed not because of security concerns, as Sony said, but because the company is trying to prevent piracy.

The class action lawsuit is being brought "on behalf of a nationwide class of all persons who purchased a PS3 during the period of November 17, 2006 to March 27, 2010 and who did not resell their PS3 before March 27, 2010".

Ventura is seeing compensation and legal fees. He hasn't said how much money he's after, exactly, but the suit does say, "The amount in controversy is in excess of $5 million."