New PSN terms of service do not apply to Australia

The recent and questionable move by Sony for all its PlayStation Network users to waive any group-based lawsuits after signing up to the service has had a lot of people outraged. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Australians have been spared the effort of getting angry about this new clause. A spokesperson for Sony has made it clear why this new policy doesn’t apply to this region:

Although the Terms of Service (TOS) in the SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) region have not been changed, in the regions where they have, this updated language is designed to benefit both the consumer and the company by ensuring that there is adequate time and procedures to resolve disputes. There is also a section of the TOS that educates users on how they can opt out of this portion of the TOS. As Australia is part of SCEE therefore there is no change to the TOS.

Frankly, this is a little strange. While Australian PSN users might think this decision is beneficial if Sony ever does wrong by them in the future, it raises the question as to why these new terms of service apply to some regions and not others. If this is a safeguard against unwarranted lawsuits, why does SCE America require protection but not SCE Australia or Europe? 

Sony’s New Terms Of Service Do Not Affect Australia [Kotaku Australia]