Microsoft Sued Over WGA Notification

Today I learnt that a Seattle resident has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, claiming that the company’s Window’s Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy programme is nothing but sophisticated spyware.

The WGA notifications component which was launched officially last week originally had a feature that enabled computers to connect with Microsoft servers each day and check for updated files configurations. This feature, which was already criticised by piracy experts, prompted the user to sue Microsoft, on grounds that the company had not adequately disclosed the details of the tool. Moreover the lawsuit accuses Microsoft of violating spyware laws of his home state, as well as Washington.

Although the lawsuit does not ask for monetary compensation, it does ask to prevent the use of the feature in further releases, but may be fined by the state nevertheless. While Microsoft refuses to acknowledge that it has violated any spyware rules, it has indeed disabled the feature, but says it is merely updating it. If, during court proceedings, the software giant is found guilty, it may have to compensate on more than just money.