Italian class-action suit targets unwanted Windows installs

[p2p rules]

The Association for the Rights of Users and Consumers (ADUC) in Italy is mounting a class-action lawsuit to obtain compensation for customers who buy PCs with Windows preinstalled, but who prefer not to use the operating system. The Italian consumer group has made the move against Microsoft after a law took effect in the country last week. That law allows consumer associations to file suit for groups of consumers, though it only provides compensation for costs and not punitive damages. According to IDG News Service, ADUC Chairman Vincenzo Donvito says a large number of users are interested (about 2,000, most of them Linux users) in the lawsuit. Participation is free, though voluntary contributions to the legal costs are welcome.

arstechnica

[Trestor]

I suppose point of the lawsuit is that the presence of a pre-installed Windows on the PC means that the purchase price of the computer is higher than it would have been without it?

[Bluey_412]

fer chrissakes, how hard can it be to run a drive partitioning tool and blow it all away?

especially if the o/s costs no more

that has to be the stupidity of the year already, i mean what WOULD be the cost to run your favourite partitioning tool?

[GhostShip]

What you seem to have missed Bluey is that these ppl are paying for windows installs when they purchase their computers despite not wanting it on their new machine, and now you feel they should go the extra hog and pay out yet more revenue to remove this MSware ?

Would you enjoy being forced to pay for something you have no intention of using ?

The only surprise in this case is why the PC vendors dont simply deliver the pcs with either nothing or the required operating system of choice installed as dell and other big companies do and refund any payment for unwanted operating system software.