Vista Capable Suit and Other Legal News

A Washington state woman has filed a class-action suit against Microsoft over the company’s Windows Vista Capable marketing program, alleging that the company did not clearly explain that PCs with such a label might not be capable of running all of Vista’s features, in particular the translucent 3D Aero interface.

Also since mid-March 2007, Microsoft faced an intellectual property claim related to Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, and has agreed to pay up to US$180 million in cash (rather than vouchers) to Iowa consumers as part of a class-action antitrust settlement there.

Lawsuit: Vista Basic Offers “No Advantages” Over XP

A woman in Washington state who purchased a Windows Vista Capable computer has sued Microsoft in U.S. District Court, alleging that the company’s Vista Capable and Express Upgrade marketing programs violated consumer protection statutes prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent acts or practices. The suit also alleges that Microsoft benefited unfairly from the programs (“unfair enrichment”) and seeks to force the company to return revenues it earned from certain retail upgrades. The complainant seeks nationwide class-action status, alleging that other customers across the United States were similarly affected by the marketing programs.