Microsoft

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle seeking class action status alleges that Microsoft's 'Windows Genuine Advantage' (WGA) anti-piracy tool is spyware, and it violates spyware laws. The suit claims that Microsoft didn't properly disclose details of the tool when it was delivered to PC users through the company's Automatic Update system. WGA purportedly checks the validity of a computer user's copy of the operating system but PC users claim that it was making contact with Microsoft's servers without their knowledge. The lawsuit claims that Microsoft installed the tool on user's systems without providing consumers an opportunity to make an informed choice about WGA software.