Thankfully some people are making a move on this and will hopefully motivate Sony. I've read the info on the lawsuit that applies nationwide just recently:
May 05, 2010
1st class Action lawsuit attorney about the case
In an IGN article, Rebecca Coll, attorney of the first class Action of April 27th against Sony, gives information about the meaning of the case for US citizens, excerpts:
"We are going to ask the court to let us proceed as a nationwide class action. If the court agrees, the court will 'define the class'. Right now, our proposed 'class definition' includes everybody in the country who bought the PS3 from the time of launch until March 27, 2010... If the court adopts this definition, then everyone fitting within that definition would automatically be included in the class action, unless they choose to 'opt out'."
Coll explains that notifications of the class action will then be sent to PS3 owners through various ways, like publication in newspapers or through Internet.
"In other words, people technically do not need to do anything to 'sign on' to the lawsuit—if they fit within the class definition, then they are automatically part of it unless they affirmatively ask to be let out of it after the class is certified."
Coll said PS3 users are encouraged to contact the firm to share their experiences. The group is compiling a database of dissatisfied Sony consumers, and will provide status updates as the litigation unfolds. More information is available on their website.
"The firm hopes to force Sony to make the Other OS (Linux) feature, together with the other advertised features, available to all purchasers of the PS3 and/or pay refunds to owners."
Estimation: According to VGChartz, since the release of the PS3 in November 2006 until September 2009 (release of the PS3 "Slim" without Linux option) Sony sold in America more that 9.000.000 PS3 consoles with Linux option.
We'll see how this turns out.