11.23.10
Microsoft Forced to Offer Windows Reimbursement in Brazil, Will Probably be Sued for Denying Vista 7 Refunds Elsewhere
“The hardest thing about replacing Windows 7 with Linux is getting the damn sticker off,” Tim from OpenBytes wrote (credit: OpenBytes)
Summary: Progress is made in the fight against predatory and clearly discriminatory bundling
Tim from OpenBytes has attempted to get a Vista 7 refund in the UK [1, 2] and on numerous occasions he has told the story of Microsoft tax, which comes in many forms. In the next episode of TechBytes we are going to cover the issue of patent tax Microsoft imposes on competition such as Android.
In any event, about 2 months ago we learned about preparations being made for a class action lawsuit against Microsoft, specifically for bundling (we cannot give the specifics yet because the case has not been filed).
Another new post that we found yesterday says:
A Class-Action Lawsuit In the Making: No Windows 7 Refund
I recently purchased a Toshiba Satellite L675 laptop from Best Buy with the explicit intention of installing the 64-bit Fedora 14 GNU/Linux operating system on it. I talked to the resident “Geek Squad” guy and told him that I had absolutely no intention or desire to EVER run Windows 7 on the laptop. So my question is this: why should I have to pay for a piece of software that I have no intention of ever using? I told the “Geek” that I intended to install Fedora 14 on the laptop, and that I wanted a refund for the pre-installed Windows 7. He informed me that it was Best Buy’s policy that they would not and could not issue a refund. I purchased the laptop, got it home, and refused to accept the Windows 7 licensing agreement. I wiped Windows from the hard drive and proceeded to install Fedora. The laptop came with Windows 7 Home Premium.
After I had put the above story in Identi.ca Mr. Alexandre Oliva told me that UFA “just got a MS Windows reimbursement in .br (in pt_BR)” (this is a very important precedence). Other countries should follow suit. █
