Microsoft Sued Over WGA

Microsoft Sued Over WGA

Thursday, June 29 2006 @ 04:00 PM EDT

Microsoft has just been sued over its Windows Genuine Advantage tool. Here's the complaint [PDF], and you can read all about it in Todd Bishop's article in SeattlePI. It was filed in California, and seeks to be a class action lawsuit, similar to the Sony rootkit ones:

A computer user is suing Microsoft Corp. over the company's Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy tool, alleging that it violates laws against spyware.

The suit by Los Angeles resident Brian Johnson, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeks class-action status for claims that Microsoft didn't adequately disclose details of the tool when it was delivered to PC users through the company's Automatic Update system.

Full article @ GROKLAW

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
Ye babe ye!
Mrk

[Lamehand]

Oh boy, sued like any other spywarecompany, not good for reputation!

[nadirah]

In other words this means: The Defendant used misleading language and information as methods of deception to convince consumers into the installation of WGA on their systems.


It's very obvious that Microsoft has used these deceptive methods in the marketing, promotion and advertising of most or all of their software products and services.

Some general information:
In Singapore, where I live and study, Microsoft seems to have a partnership with the Education Ministry in Singapore and through this avenue Microsoft seeks and attempts to spread its marketing and advertising influence by:

1. Marketing and promoting their latest Microsoft Office 2003 software ( Professional Edition) product through the Ministry Of Education, Singapore. The product is being promoted in schools as a essential piece of software that helps students with their projects, homework assignments etc. This is viewed as another one of Microsoft's methods to increase their revenue intake.
2. Microsoft has and always marketed and promoted their products as tools that help us in our daily lives, changes the way we live, work and play.
3. Teachers in schools teach the basics of ordinary day-to-day computer programs, especially Microsoft Office. Issues on computer security, other important IT issues are never taught in any way at all. Some teachers only know how to use the computer for administrative work.
4. Microsoft always talks about the basics of computing only and always uses misleading, deceptively convincing language to convince most typical and average computer users into believing about the quality, safety and security of their products and services and never teaches about the more advanced/more complex issues therefore most typical computer users have little to no knowledge of the more complex issues in today's rapidly changing computing environment.

Fact: Internet Explorer is part of the most insecure products that Microsoft has ever made.
Fact: Users who are less knowledgable pose a significant risk to the computing environment.
Fact: Internet Explorer 7 is just a last-minute, desperate effort by Microsoft to recover and rebuild the worst and most insecure & difficult-to-use web browser.
Fact: Microsoft's products have always been focused more on functionality, convenience and entertainment rather than on security.

[buttoni]

So many users are upset over the new WGA software installs by Microsoft that finally someone is taking them on in the Seattle court system. It appears to be a class action suit. Just read about it yesterday over at DSL broadband Reports forum:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16402494

You'd think MS would have learned something from the Sony Rootkit mess!

[nadirah]

This whole WGA thing right from the beginning was just plain ********.
Don't tell me that all copies of windows xxxx are pirated? C'mon man, will the local computer shop sell PIRATED copies of Windows!? And what about the Original Equipment Manufacturers? Do they install PIRATED copies of Windows too!?
By pushing Windows Genuine Advantage Validation and Notification to innocent computer users who should be running genuine versions of windows and who don't need this sort of validation tool, Microsoft is showing their true colours, how they treat the users of their own products.

You know, in fact this software company is also responsible for so many malware infections in their own products. They seriously need a mindset change.

Microsoft's trick is that they always use misleading language to like 'charm' innocent users into believing them.
With WGA, Microsoft is telling everybody that they themselves make pirated products! LOL and LMAO to Microsoft.

You don't need to have some tool to tell you whether your software is legitimate or not. You as the owner of your computer should know it best. You don't even need half your brain to work out whether a copy of windows is pirated or genuine.