Xinhua News Agency
10/29/04 7:41 AM PT


Plaintiff Sean Burke claims that "the defective Xboxes stop working after minimal usage, after unreasonably, unconscionably, unusually and unexpectedly short amounts of time." The lawsuit also alleges that Microsoft was aware that a "significant number of the Xboxes fail to read or play media devices specifically designed, sold and/or represented by Microsoft as readable by the Xbox."

A man in Los Angeles filed a class action suit against U.S. software giant Microsoft yesterday, claiming that the company manufactured and sold thousands of defective Xbox video game systems.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court said the systems "contain a defect that causes the disc drive to crash ... making the accompanying games purchased by the consumer unusable and non-functioning."

Microsoft made no comments on the lawsuit yesterday.

Plaintiff Sean Burke claims that "the defective Xboxes stop working after minimal usage, after unreasonably, unconscionably, unusually and unexpectedly short amounts of time."

The suit also claims Microsoft was aware that a "significant number of the Xboxes fail to read or play media devices specifically designed, sold and/or represented by Microsoft as readable by the Xbox."

Burke asked a judge to certify two classes in the suit -- a California class and a national class. Qualified class members should have bought an Xbox between 2001 and 2004.

Source: E-Commerce Times