PS5: Sony threatens legal action against third-party console faceplate manufacturer

In a little over a week, the next-generation consoles will finally ship out to people who preordered and to retailers albeit in very limited numbers. The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will arrive ahead of the PS5 which will have a staggered launch in certain regions. Sony has been actively controlling the exposure of its new game system leading up to the launch. Now, the company is telling a third-party accessory manufacturer to shutter its operations or face legal action.

It was only a few months ago when it was revealed that the outer shell of the PS5 was removable. Much like its predecessor, owners can service some parts and expand the available storage of their consoles. Meanwhile, this opened up the market for personalisation options, which many gamers often go for. As such, Customize My Plates – a company that offers bespoke replacement plates -- has caught the attention of Sony's legal team.

Earlier, it was reported that the business was forced to change their name from PlateStation 5 to Customize My Plates due to "patent and intellectual property issues." Now, in its latest communication, Sony apparently demands that it should also stop offering their services or the matter will "end up in court." It seems the Japanese electronics group's intellectual property rights include the removable faceplates of the PS5.

In an interview with Video Games Chronicle (VGC), a representative from Customize My Plates stated: "Before we launched, we did our due diligence and were of the opinion, that because Sony only had pending patents on the faceplates there would be no problem."

The company added: "But after only a day of our website being live, Sony's lawyers asked us to change our name (at the time PlateStation5), due to trademark infringements. We thought this switch would be enough to keep everyone happy, and honestly were hoping so since we were already underway with our product development."

However, it appears the manufacturer wants them to cease all activities related to the PS5 faceplates or else a lawsuit might soon follow. Therefore, people who already placed their orders will have their money refunded instead. It seems likely that Sony might have plans to produce its own replacement plates or license out the rights to those interested in the future.