Editing Sony (section)

==Criticism==
Over the years, Sony has faced a number of allegations and criticism pertaining to their corporate behavior, often leading to legal proceedings and customer dissatisfaction.

In August 2000, then Sony Pictures Entertainment U.S. senior vice president Steve Heckler was quoted saying "The industry will take whatever steps it needs to protect itself and protect its revenue streams ...".<ref>Anastasi, Michael A. [http://www.nyfairuse.org/sony.xhtml "Sony Exec: We Will Beat Napster"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318115847/http://www.nyfairuse.org/sony.xhtml |date=March 18, 2009 }}, ''New Yorkers For Fair Use'', August 17, 2000. Retrieved November 13, 2006.</ref> Sony then worked on a [[Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal|DRM system that works like a rootkit]] in order to enforce its copyright claims upon users of music CDs.

With respect to Sony's gaming consoles, subsequent updates are released to the said consoles, many of which strip the user of some of the originally advertised features in order to save the company some licensing fees or protect itself from the modding community. 
On April 1, 2010, Sony released a patch for the [[PS3]] that would remove [[OtherOS]] from being installed onto the system after hackers were looking for ways to exploit OtherOS in order to run [[PlayStation 3 homebrew|homebrew software]]. Then on January 12, 2011, Sony filled lawsuits against ''[[geohot]]'' and ''fail0verflow'' for their efforts on exploiting the PS3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-sony-vs-jailbreak-hackers|title=Sony to Geohot: See you in court|date=January 12, 2011|access-date=January 12, 2011|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|archive-date=2021-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328215624/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-sony-vs-jailbreak-hackers|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/46739945/Motion-for-TRO |title=Motion for TRO |publisher=Scribd.com |date=2011-01-12 |access-date=2011-03-20 |archive-date=2016-03-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307095354/https://www.scribd.com/doc/46739945/Motion-for-TRO |url-status=live }}</ref>
In December 2023, Sony announced that it will remove the Discovery app and its content, even if previously paid for, from its gaming consoles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/playstation-to-take-back-paid-digital-content-from-players-libraries-due-to-licensing-issues-3553377 |title=PlayStation to remove hundreds of TV shows from players' libraries due to "licensing issues" |publisher=NME.com |date=2023-12-04 |access-date=2023-12-16 |archive-date=2023-12-16  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216124700/https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/playstation-to-take-back-paid-digital-content-from-players-libraries-due-to-licensing-issues-3553377 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Environmental record===
In November 2011, Sony was ranked ninth (jointly with Panasonic) in [[Greenpeace]]'s Guide to Greener Electronics.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 2011 |title=Guide to Greener Electronics 17th Edition |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/detox/electronics/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/Previous-editions/How-the-companies-line-up-17/ |access-date=20 August 2018 |website=Greenpeace International |archive-date=2021-02-19  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219133250/https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200408025458/http://p3-raw.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/detox/electronics/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/Previous-editions/How-the-companies-line-up-17/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This chart grades major electronics companies on their environmental work. The company scored 3.6/10, incurring a penalty point for comments it has made in opposition to energy efficiency standards in California. It also risks a further penalty point in future editions for being a member of trade associations that have commented against energy efficiency standards.<ref name="Guide to Greener Electronics">{{cite web |title=Guide to Greener Electronics |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/ |access-date=16 November 2011 |website=Greenpeace International |archive-date=2011-11-12  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112022636/http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Together with [[Philips]], Sony receives the highest score for energy policy advocacy after calling on the EU to adopt an unconditional 30% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Meanwhile, it receives full marks for the efficiency of its products.<ref name="Guide to Greener Electronics" /> In June 2007, Sony ranked 14th on the [[Greenpeace]] guide.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 June 2007 |title=Greener electronics Sony ranking: Fourth Edition |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/publications/reports/greener-electronics-so-4/ |access-date=20 August 2018 |website=Greenpeace International |archive-date=2021-02-19  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219141100/https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200408140026/http://p3-raw.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/greener-electronics-so-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sony fell from its earlier 11th-place ranking due to Greenpeace's claims that Sony had double standards in their waste policies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Samson |first=Ted |date=9 July 2007 |title=Sony hits bottom of Greenpeace eco rankings |work=InfoWorld |url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/sony-hits-bottom-greenpeace-eco-rankings-649 |access-date=5 October 2010 |archive-date=2014-07-07  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707184909/http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/sony-hits-bottom-greenpeace-eco-rankings-649 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{As of|2018|05}} Greenpeace's 2017 Guide to Greener Electronics rated Sony approximately in the middle among electronics manufacturers with a grade of D+.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guide to Greener Electronics (2017) |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/ |access-date=17 May 2018 |website=Greenpeace International |language=en-GB |archive-date=2019-11-15  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115125815/https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Environmental Activities at Sony |url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/history/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208124950/http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/history/index.html |archive-date=8 February 2008 |access-date=3 January 2022}}. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> Sony's policies address their effects on global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their suppliers in a process that they call "green procurement".<ref>{{cite web |title=Sony Group Environmental: Vision |url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/vision/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127044020/http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/vision/index.html |archive-date=27 November 2007 |access-date=3 January 2022}}. Web.archive.org. (27 November 2007). Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> Sony has said that they have signed on to have about 75 percent of their [[Sony Building (New York)|Sony Building]] running on [[geothermal power]]. The "Sony Take Back Recycling Program" allow consumers to recycle the electronics products that they buy from Sony by taking them to [[eCycle (Recycling)]] drop-off points around the U.S. The company has also developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works similarly to the way living creatures work. This is the most powerful small [[biobattery]] to date.<ref>[http://www.techgadgets.in/misc-gadgets/2007/24/sony-develops-worlds-most-powerful-sugar-based-bio-battery-prototype/ Sony develops World's Most Powerful Sugar-based Bio Battery Prototype] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101125807/http://www.techgadgets.in/misc-gadgets/2007/24/sony-develops-worlds-most-powerful-sugar-based-bio-battery-prototype/ |date=2016-01-01  }}. Techgadgets.in (24 August 2007). Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref>

In 2000, Sony faced criticism for a document entitled "NGO Strategy" that was leaked to the press. The document involved the company's surveillance of environmental activists in an attempt to plan how to counter their movements. It specifically mentioned environmental groups that were trying to pass laws that held electronics-producing companies responsible for the cleanup of the toxic chemicals contained in their merchandise.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Danielle |date=22 September 2000 |title=Sony's PR War on Activists |work=Mother Jones |url=http://motherjones.com/environment/2000/09/sonys-pr-war-activists |access-date=5 October 2010 |archive-date=2020-10-24  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024125232/https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2000/09/sonys-pr-war-activists/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Cartel===
In 2007 an investigation launched in 2002 by the [[European Commission]] culminated in Sony, [[Fujifilm|Fuji]] and [[Maxell]] receiving a total of 110 million US dollar fine for fixing professional videotape prices between the years 1999 and 2002 through regular meetings and other illegal contracts; at the time the three corporations shared a combined 85% control of the market. Sony's part of the fine was raised by a third for trying to obstruct the investigation by refusing to answer inquiries made by the EU officials and shredding of evidence during the multiple law-enforcement raids.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/tech-eu-video-fines-dc-idUKBFA00056020071120|title=EU fines Sony, others for videotape price fixes|date=20 November 2007|website=Reuters|access-date=22 November 2022|archive-date=2022-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123183738/https://www.reuters.com/article/tech-eu-video-fines-dc-idUKBFA00056020071120|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://bbj.hu/budapest/culture/awards/eu-fines-sony-fuji-maxell-for-videotape-price-fixing10993|title=EU fines Sony, Fuji, Maxell for videotape price fixing|date=21 November 2007|website=Budapest Business Journal|access-date=22 November 2022|archive-date=2022-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123183740/https://bbj.hu/budapest/culture/awards/eu-fines-sony-fuji-maxell-for-videotape-price-fixing10993|url-status=live}}</ref> During the year 2001 prior to the investigation Sony sold professional videotapes for a total of €115 million inside the EU.