Microsoft Sued Over Vista-To-XP Downgrade Fee

Woman paid extra for XP, blames 'anticompetitive' licensing for Vista

A California woman has sued Microsoft Corp. over the $59.25 fee she was charged to "downgrade" Windows Vista on a new laptop to the older Windows XP.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Seattle federal court, is Microsoft's latest legal problem related to Windows Vista, which has faced scrutiny for nearly two years in the better-known "Vista Capable" case.

Los Angeles resident Emma Alvarado charged Microsoft with multiple violations of Washington state's unfair business practices and consumer protection laws over its policy of barring computer makers from continuing to offer XP on new PCs after Vista's early-2007 launch. Alvarado is seeking compensatory damages and wants the case declared a class-action suit.

Read more about this at Computerworld