Kaspersky, maker of the popular Kaspersky Lab antivirus suite, hit Microsoft with a legal complaint in June, claiming that the company used unfair practices to promote Windows Defender over competing products in Windows 10. At the time, Kaspersky accused Microsoft of removing its software from users' PCs when they upgraded to Windows 10, turning to Windows Defender in its place. Microsoft said that was for compatibility issues, but Kaspersky said the company didn't afford third-party antivirus developers enough time with an update to prepare its software ahead of a broad rollout.
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Yesterday, Microsoft announced changes that address Kaspersky's complaints. And they appear to have appeased the Russian antivirus company, because today it responded with a blog post stating that it will withdraw its legal action (opens in new tab) against Microsoft.
Here's a list of changes Microsoft promised:
- It will work with antivirus vendors more closely on compatibility before major Windows updates.
- It will give antivirus vendors more time in advance of major OS updates to prepare their products and provide more clarity on specific release dates.
- The company will let third-party antivirus vendors use their alerts to tell users that their antivirus will soon expire, and notify them if the software has already expired, so they can update and stay secure.
- Windows itself will also let users know if an antivirus program is no longer active. A new notification will remain on the user's screen until they either renew the third-party software, or they pick another option, such as Windows Defender or another third-party antivirus. (Currently, a toast notification lets users know their antivirus is about to expire but it quickly disappears and is easily missed.)
These changes can be expected in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, according to Microsoft.
From Kaspersky:
We are absolutely satisfied with the changes that will be implemented in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and we will be taking all necessary steps to withdraw our claims and inform all regulatory bodies that we no longer have any matters for Microsoft to address.
