Microsoft has taken legal action against a NSW tech support firm accused of lying to customers and falsely claiming it was affiliated with the US tech giant.
In a Federal Court case filed on Wednesday, Microsoft takes aim at Wollongong-based My Tech Squad and its director Sundhar Rajan Balu, seeking damages and court-ordered restraints against future illegal conduct.
My Tech Squad sold computers and hardware and offered technical support from June 2012 until it entered liquidation on January 17 this year, according to the lawsuit.
The company is accused of misleading consumers while it was operational by falsely claiming its services were authorised or endorsed by Microsoft or that it was permitted to provide licenced copies of Office 365.
False statements were also made that customers who called the firm's helpline would get in touch with a Microsoft representative, the lawsuit claims.
An investigation by Microsoft in June 2020 uncovered the allegedly illegal behaviour.
The tech giant contends it has received at least 70 complaints by consumers about My Tech Squad's conduct. Details of these complaints were not included in court documents seen by AAP.
"Microsoft has suffered loss and damage by reason of the misleading and/or deceptive conduct of (My Tech Squad) and/or (Mr Balu) and is entitled to recover its loss and damage," the firm wrote.
My Tech Squad is also accused of trademark and copyright infringement by using Microsoft's logos and selling unauthorised copies of the firm's computer programs without permission.
"The said infringements referred to above were committed flagrantly and deliberately by (My Tech Squad and Mr Balu) with the intention of appropriately for their own use and benefit the property of (Microsoft)," the firm wrote.
Microsoft will need the Federal Court's permission to continue the case against My Tech Squad as the company has been wound up.
Daniel Frisken of O'Brien Palmer Insolvency & Business Advisory is currently My Tech Squad's liquidator.
