Microsoft complainant publishes open letter http://www.idg.net.nz/webhome.nsf/NL/532A95908C65FD5FCC256BAC0018F668 Andrea Malcolm, Auckland The Auckland lawyer who has filed a complaint against Microsoft licensing practices with the Commerce Commission has posted an open letter to Microsoft users on the web. Craig Horrocks, a partner at Clendon Feeney, says since filing the complaint, which accuses Microsoft of anti-competitive behaviour (see Microsoft NZ hit with Commerce Commission complaint), he has received email from around the world. He says there have been unexpectedly extreme views, but, in general, Microsoft's removal of users' rights to upgrade existing licences for an upgrade fee as against having to re-buy product or subscribe to Microsoft's new Software Assurance programme, has tapped a vein of customer unhappiness. Clendon Feeney's operations arm, Infraserv, laid the complaint on April 3 and the Commerce Commission has been collecting information from both Horrocks and Microsoft. It it yet to decide whether the complaint warrants investigation.
