[rayiner]

Because the purpose of a civil suit is to make consumers whole for actual damages. This isn't about punishing Sony for misleading advertising. You measure the difference between what people paid, and what they would've paid without the removed functionality, summed up over the whole class. That's the damages to the class. And because very few people who bought a PS3 wouldn't have done so at the same price without that advertised feature, it's not a big number.

[icebraining]

You're the lawyer, but how does Gore v. BMW of North America, Inc. fit into that? Even after the decision by the supreme courts, the plaintiff got $4k in actual damages and $50k in punitive damages, even after the SCOTUS found no evidence of bad faith. What makes this case different?

In fact, what's the point of punitive damages in general if not to punish the defendants in civil suits?