U.S. Supreme Court
Court Rejects Appeal in Internet-Marketing RICO Case
Consumers will get a chance to prove their claims that Microsoft and Best Buy violated racketeering laws by fraudulently signing them up for Microsoft’s MSN Internet services.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant cert in the company’s appeal today, the Associated Press reports.
The suit claims Best Buy employees signed up customers for trial MSN accounts without their knowledge, and that Microsoft billed them for the service when the trial period ended, Reuters reports.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce had urged justices to take the case to rein in the use of civil RICO to obtain triple damages. The companies contend their joint marketing agreement was not a criminal enterprise within the meaning of the RICO law.
