Sony Finally Responds To Company That Dared It To Sue
Back in February, electronics skin-makers Dbrand essentially dared Sony to sue it for its line of custom PS5 faceplates. Months later, the company has been forced to pull its black PS5 faceplates (or "Darkplates") from its online store. While Sony's move to take legal action against Dbrand isn't necessarily unprecedented, fans on Twitter have taken the opportunity to ridicule Dbrand for daring Sony to sue it. It turns out that the slogan of "Go ahead, sue us" doesn't seem as fun when the company is actually facing legal action.
The Verge reported that Dbrand had removed the Darkplates from its website after receiving a cease and desist letter from Sony. The letter allegedly asked Dbrand to cease the production and sale of Darkplates forever, but the company doesn't plan to comply with those demands, even though it has temporarily complied with the takedown notice. In the place of the Darkplates, Dbrand has linked to seemingly every article written about the company's interaction with Sony, from its bold ad campaign to its recent compliance with the cease and desist letter.
That's not the only statement Dbrand has made, however. The company saw fit to let the world know about its situation in a lengthy Reddit post addressing the situation.
Dbrand responds to Sony's request
On the official Dbrand subreddit, the company crafted a long post titled "Darkplates are dead, thanks Sony," which directed readers to the Dbrand website. Dbrand speculated that it was being specifically targeted, pointing out that the immensely popular Netflix show "Squid Game" also uses triangle, circle, square, and x designs that are similar to those Sony alleged is copyrighted material. If Sony wants to pursue legal action against Dbrand, the post speculated, why not also target "Squid Game?"
Dbrand went on to theorize that Sony is working on its own custom PS5 plates and wants to eliminate potential competition and establish a monopoly. The post went on to suggest that Sony could be developing its own colored faceplates or a new model of PS5 that incorporates an entirely new color scheme. Dbrand explained, "we've elected to submit to the terrorists' demands... for now." The post even ended with a choice four-letter word for Sony, reemphasizing Dbrand's commitment to fighting the potential lawsuit.
The bottom line is that gamers do want custom or colorful PS5s, but Sony has consistently squashed unlicensed makers of faceplates for its next-gen system. Early in 2021, CMP Shells attempted to provide more color options for PS5 users, starting and stopping production on its "God of War" plates and adding new twists to the custom plates story. It's unclear how Dbrand will move forward after its warning from Sony, but this Reddit rant indicates that the company doesn't plan to go down without a fight.