Lawsuit Claims WGA Is Spyware 360
twitter writes "Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), Microsoft's euphemistically named digital restrictions scheme, is the target of another spyware and false advertising lawsuit. 'Microsoft this week was sued in a Washington district court for allegedly violating privacy laws through Windows XP's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) copy protection scheme. Similar to cases filed in 2006, the new class action case accuses Microsoft of falsely representing what information WGA would send to verify the authenticity of Windows and that it would send back information [daily IP address and other details that could be used to trace information back to a home or user]. The complaint further argued that Microsoft portrayed WGA as a necessary security update rather than acknowledge its copy protection nature in the update. WGA's implementation also prevented users from purging the protection from their PCs without completely reformatting a computer's system drive.' There were at least two other lawsuits launched in 2006 over WGA. According to the Wikipedia article, none of them have been resolved. The system is built into Vista and Windows 7."
Nothing will happen (Score:5, Informative)
Except that MS has to hand out vouchers for more MS products, giving them an even bigger market share.
[see Sony Rootkit settlement for details]
Re:What did you think it was, a fluffy bunny? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What did you think it was, a fluffy bunny? (Score:5, Informative)
Uninstalling by hand, anyone? (Score:1, Informative)
FTFS: "WGA's implementation also prevented users from purging the protection from their PCs without completely reformatting a computer's system drive."
Really? Have none of these people heard of removing a program by hand? It may not be comprehensive and may leave traces behind, but you can sure rip the operating guts out. Delete the executable, unregister the DLL and delete them. Bye-bye nagging.
At the same time, I don't know what changes are made once WGA flags a system as "non-genuine". That is not a simple fix. Though, if you find yourself in that situation, you should be able to handle the problem or deal with the consequences. Otherwise, use legit purchased software or use Linux (by far the better alternative).
Re:Amusing name (Score:1, Informative)
UMUC is an official part of the University of Maryland system, it is accredited, and it grants degrees. It's not a university on it's own, and I know nothing about the quality of a UMUC education, but it is part of the university system.
Re:Nothing will happen (Score:3, Informative)
> Corporations should face jailtime for any crime or activity that would result
> in a person being incarcerated.
This is a civil lawsuit. Individuals who lose civil lawsuits are not incarcerated. They are ordered to pay compensation just as corporations are.
> This to me would be the proper treatment of "corporations have the same
> rights as real individuals."
Corporations do not have the same rights as natural persons in the USA.
> A good alternative might be to keep the limited liability nature of a
> corporation for any failures or accidents, but to remove it and allow for
> personally prosecuting and imprisoning any and all members of upper
> management who knowingly support an illegal action wherever intent can be
> proven.
That is already the law in the USA.
Re:Nothing will happen (Score:4, Informative)
This to me would be the proper treatment of "corporations have the same rights as real individuals." A good alternative might be to keep the limited liability nature of a corporation for any failures or accidents, but to remove it and allow for personally prosecuting and imprisoning any and all members of upper management who knowingly support an illegal action wherever intent can be proven.
This is ALREADY the nature of the law, no need to change it. What needs to be done is to actually enforce the law this way, with one exception. It shouldn't be limmited to upper management, it should be for ANYONE in the company.
Re:What did you think it was, a fluffy bunny? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Great, but there's a few unfortunate details. (Score:3, Informative)
can't speak for others...[microsoft tax] (Score:5, Informative)
... but when I bought my computer, I asked for vista to be removed and the price refunded. Hoped from shop to shop until I found one that agreed (in fact I was ready for a trek, but the 3rd shop in the street was the good one). He got the deal, and I bought the refund worth of RAM to top of the computer capacity. I was pleased, and so was the seller.
My laptop is an Asus eeepc 900A linux 'edition'. Again, I carefully reviewed the options before buying.
Speak with your wallet.
Re:What did you think it was, a fluffy bunny? (Score:2, Informative)
There are many computer retailers who discount the price so you don't pay the windows tax if you get a Linux or other system (Dell does this, and other OEMs do too).
And (unless you are buying a Netbook/non-PC that utilizes special hardware) their products are usually more expensive than equivalent ones from other retailers that have Windows preinstalled.
I cannot wait until ReactOS goes 1.0 (Score:4, Informative)
ReactOS [reactos.org] is still being developed. Some day (maybe in five years) it will reach the golden 1.0 standard. It should replace Windows XP and then we can forget about those WGA updates.
WGA has too many false positives and can ruin wallpaper settings (turning the screen to black) and do other annoying things. Plus I keep seeing it installed even if updates are turned off. Currently my system is genuine but if a Firewall software blocks Internet access it thinks it is not genuine. Until I allow the firewall and then hit validate, then everything is OK.
I doubt a majority of Windows users will migrate towards Vista or Windows 7 because of legacy software issues and legacy hardware that cannot run Vista or 7. ReactOS will fill that hole quite nicely when it is done with Windows XP compatibility and no WGA gotchas.
Re:Amusing name (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Nothing will happen (Score:5, Informative)
See the first case that SCOTUS will hear (one month before the normal start of their session). It is a "free speech" issue regarding campaign finance (do corporations, unions and PACs) have the right to air political ads without claiming them as a "donation in kind", triggering matching funds.
The argument being presented in support claims that campaign donations (from those corporations, unions and PACs) are free speech and therefore cannot be legally constrained.
Even though they are not able to vote, they are still able to influence elections. Some say that their influence is corrosive.
Re:Nothing will happen (Score:3, Informative)
And lets execute the corporation when it kills people. Just line up the employees and shoot them. After a proper trial.
There IS a type of corporate death penalty. That would be the revocation of the corporate charter. It practically never happens, however, because we collectively care a lot more about the inconvenience this would cause than we care about justice.
I don't get this, don't u just go download FixWGA? (Score:3, Informative)
I don't get this, don't u just go download FixWGA from the nearest torrent site, and then be done with it? Honestly - frivolous lawsuit!
Re:Another idiotic lawsuit.... (Score:3, Informative)