A reader challenges Internet Week’s assertion that people are
willing to pay for a proprietary piece of software in order to have
someone to sue in case of trouble.
“I take exception with the idea that commercial firms are
willing to pay for an OS license in exchange for the right to sue
the vendor if it breaks. Perhaps they think this is what they’re
paying for (it doesn’t help that the press constantly harps on this
point), but they’re never going to be able to collect.”
“Simply buying licenses for software isn’t enough to get you
that protection, however. Microsoft’s license agreements
specifically state that they are not responsible for problems with
the software. I’m not aware of anyone successfully suing Microsoft
because the company’s products don’t work (which is easy enough to
demonstrate in specific cases), but if that were to happen it would
open Microsoft up to thousands of additional lawsuits.”