Indie slams false Microsoft claim

Microsoft has infuriated an independent retailer after the software giant informed one of his clients that he had supplied them with illegal software.

A Microsoft employee told a customer of MCB, a retail business in North Wales owned by Martin Briggs, that software he had bought from the outlet was illegal because it had no certificate of authenticity.

But Briggs had legitimately purchased the software, part of an Acer Aspire OEM pack, from Computer Component Marketing, the u30 million Altrincham-based distributor. "The action Microsoft took was totally unfounded," he said. "It undermined customer confidence in us, by telling our client that the product we supplied was illegal. And Microsoft didn't even have the courtesy to tell us first."

All Acer Aspire packs supplied by CCM included bona fide Microsoft OEM licences, CCM's managing director Brent Cutler confirmed. "This is a matter entirely for Microsoft and Acer," he said. "Microsoft is unhappy, as it doesn't like any OEM dumping, but that does not mean that the product is illegal. All OEMs over-manufacture product from time to time, and they all sell it through the back door. When companies offer you prices that are u15-20 below the official distributor prices, what do you do?"