Microsoft sued over Windows Genuine Advantage "spyware"
We've spent quite a few keystrokes covering the development of Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage from fairly passive anti-piracy software to something a little more aggressive, and clearly we're not the only ones. This week Microsoft got hit with a lawsuit from LA resident Brian Johnson, who alleges that it violates anti-spyware laws by "phoning home" to Redmond without the user's knowledge or consent. Microsoft, of course, doesn't agree. The suit also alleges that because WGA can mistakenly identify a licensed copy of Windows as pirated if its owner transfers it to a new PC or swaps out his old hardware, it impinges on users' fair use right. More details can be found in coverage by the Seattle PI and Download Squad favorite Groklaw.[Via Slashdot]
