Free Speech abuse?

Unfortunately players may get suspended from Sony’s PlayStation Network. If said player is especially naughty they will be banned. An avid Resistance: Fall of Man fan managed to get banned from PSN. Generally players will create a new user and take the loss. Only on this occasion this PSN user has filed suit in U.S. District Court in California against Sony.

Charges were filed on July 6th by Erik Estavallo, arguing that the ban goes against his First Amendment Rights to Free Speech. A court document that was retrieved by GamePolitics states this:

“The plaintiff was exercising his First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech in the game’s public forum when he was banned from, not only [Resistance], but also banned from playing all other games online via the PlayStation Network.”

According to the filing, the banning has caused “pain and suffering”, because the PS3 is “the only way the plaintiff can truly socialize since he also suffers from Agoraphobia.” Estavallo is asking $55,000 in punitive damages, and also asks that Sony does not implement bans of any sort.

“PlayStation 3 is the only system that incorporates this type of wide-ranged ban. As where Nintendo does not ban customers at all. And Microsoft Xbox rarely bans.”
- Erik Estavallo

Did we mention this isn’t a joke?
http://playstationlifestyle.net/2009/07/21/resistance-player-accuse...