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Microsoft, Best Buy Face Racketeering Suit

Posted by kdawson on from the one-way-to-sign-up-customers dept.

15 judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals have unanimously reversed dismissal of a RICO class action suit against Microsoft and Best Buy, which claims the companies engaged in fraud in promoting Microsoft's MSN online service. (RICO is a statute originally intended to help prosecutors go after organized crime.) Quoting: "The case started after James Odom bought a PC-based laptop at a Contra Costa County Best Buy store. Data about the purchase was sent to Microsoft as part of a joint marketing agreement between the companies. Microsoft then signed Mr. Odom up for its MSN Internet service and, after a free trial period, began billing him for it." Howard Bashman's How Appealing blog has more details on the reversal, including a paraphrase from one of the appellate judges that "all blame rests with the U.S. Supreme Court for allowing the 'outlandish' result that a claim such as this can be pursued under RICO."

10 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    If the accusations of signing people up without their consent is true, both companies should be judicially raped for it.


    Too bad Washington is just a small department inside Microsoft.

  2. Slashdot signed me up without my knowledge by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    And then took all my karma.

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  3. Re:Outlandish result by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 2, Funny

    You forgot Poland!

  4. Re:Figures... by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1, Funny

    (This happened to a client-- I don't pay for my porn.)

    Riiiiiiiight...

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    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  5. Obligatory by acercanto · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, you sign up for servi.... waait. Suddenly, Russia isn't looking too bad. ;-)

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    You can have only two of the following three qualities when developing a product: cheap, fast or good.
  6. Contra Costa County Best Buy by Spooon69 · · Score: 4, Funny

    He took it to court? He should have handled it in the Contra Best Buy store itself, all it would have taken is... UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A

  7. Re:This is definitely true, Revelations inside by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I worked at Best Buy, and one time they made me try to summon the devil. But I quit, because I like Linux and free software and stuff.

    See? It's easy to make up some story, post it anonymously and pretend it's true.

  8. Re:This is definitely true, Revelations inside by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    I worked at Best Buy, and one time they made me try to summon the devil. But I quit, because I like Linux and free software and stuff.

    You should have just installed FreeBSD. Free software AND the devil's included.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  9. Re:Good by osu-neko · · Score: 3, Funny

    He's right. We should just slowly torture these guys instead...

    --
    "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  10. obligatory by justinlee37 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In soviet U.S., service signs up for you!