Microsoft and others sued over shrinkwrap licenses
Monday, February 10, 2003 at 01:10AM A California woman is suing Microsoft, Symantec and some software retailers, claiming the companies "concocted a scheme" to mislead consumers by requiring them to consent to software licensing agreements they haven't read. The suit, filed Friday in Marin County Superior Court in San Rafael, Calif., was filed on behalf of all Californians who've bought software including Norton Antivirus 2002, Norton Systemworks and Windows XP Upgrade.
The consumer lawsuit claims that people who didn't accept the terms of the "EULA" (End User License Agreement) cannot return the "opened" software to the stores. According to the suit, the plaintiff tried to return the Microsoft and Symantec software to CompUSA after refusing to consent to the licensing terms. However, CompUSA refused to take the software back, saying the packages had been opened, according to the complaint.