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Microsoft Dodges Class Action In WGA Lawsuit

Posted by kdawson on from the hire-your-own-lawyer dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A lawsuit that accused Microsoft of misleading consumers to download and install an update for Windows Genuine Advantage under the guise that it was critical security update will go forward, but not as a class action. A federal judge has refused to certify the lawsuit as a class action, which would have meant that anyone who owned a Windows XP PC in mid-2006 could join the case without having to hire an attorney. As Windows XP was easily the most popular operating system at the time, the ruling means Redmond has managed to avoid hundreds of millions in potential damages."

5 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Thats fine by me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I never planned on using the corporate justice system anyway.

    I used the consumer justice system... I pirated some of their software and then switched to Linux.

    1. Re:Thats fine by me... by wall0159 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While switching to Linux is a punishment for MS - pirating their software is not - it merely entrenches their position.

  2. Hundreds of millions by Spad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...the ruling means Redmond has managed to avoid hundreds of millions in potential damages

    All of which would have gone to the lawyers.

  3. Re:good by adolf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    WGA enables other updates to be installed, it pretty much is a security update.

    Yeah, sure. It "enables" other updates to be installed, just like DRM protection "enables" movies to be watched.

    The converse, however, seems far more true: WGA restricts other updates from being installed, just like DRM restricts movies from being watched.

    There is no technical or security reason for WGA's existence. The "other updates" that it "enables" would work just fine without it, were they not arbitrarily designed to require WGA.

    --
    Kid-proof tablet..
  4. "In closing, your Honor..." by the+roAm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "This was indeed a critical security update. An update to secure the legitimacy of the software which we support."

    Then the judge rules in favor of Microsoft.
    The end.

    --
    ~The roAm