No more imposed licensing - Get back the cost of your Windows License!
When acquiring a new laptop you often end up dealing with an imposed pre-installed Microsoft Windows operating system. Even if you do not want to use it, you still need to pay for the Windows license. This is unfair. The Refund4Freedom initiative guides users in how to get their money back in these cases and demands the end of this practice that limits user freedom.
As a user, you have most likely encountered the issue that most laptops are being sold with a pre-installed Windows operating system. While this alone might seem like a minor inconvenience, it becomes problematic as the cost of the Microsoft Windows license is bundled in without an effective and easy way for consumers to opt out.
This standardized practice not only adds extra costs for the consumers, if they do not want that pre-installed software, but also comes with another issue: the hardship of saying no to it and getting a refund. Forcing consumers to buy software every time they acquire a new device without the possibility to reject the software bundling is against Device Neutrality. Besides it is illegal when manufacturers do not allow consumers to recover the licensing costs of unused software.
Time to change: join our Refund4Freedom initiative!
Joining forces with the Italian Linux Society (ILS), the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has launched an initiative to protect consumer rights when buying a new computer. Refund4Freedom aims to:
- Help consumers to get a refund of the cost of the Windows License when buying a new device.
- Provide information on how device manufacturers deal with refund queries.
- Raise awareness against imposed software bundling in devices.
- Demand from device manufacturers better refund policies and procedures.
- Protect the right to use only the software of one's choice.
Refund4Freedom is one of a broader set of activities promoting end-users' rights. For instance, the End of 10 campaign encourages users to keep using their current hardware by switching to Free Software operating systems. This offers an alternative to buying a new device when support for Windows 10 ends on 14 October 2025. By demanding refunds for unwanted pre-installed software, Refund4Freedom supports this transition and helps users avoid unnecessary costs while encouraging device neutrality and user-controlled choices.
Let us exercise Software Freedom together
Next time you buy a computer with pre-installed Windows, make sure to join our initiative and do not be shy to request a refund! Share your experience with us and together let us demand respect for our software freedom!
Although Refund4Freedom focuses on Italy for now, we are building experience to expand our efforts to the rest of Europe. Therefore, your contributions will help us push this agenda for everyone!!
"You should not have to pay for software you do not want. Manufacturers and vendors have no right to impose specific operating systems on users, nor should they obscure the cost of those licenses in the final price of the device", states Lucas Lasota, Refund4Freedom co-coordinator.
Get inspired! A tenacious example of license refund in Italy
Refund4Freedom is inspired by the relentless work of volunteers facing great challenges to enforce their rights in exercising software freedom. A dramatic example is the victorious story of Luca Bonnissi, an FSFE supporter from Italy and professional developer, against the giant computer manufacturer Lenovo in Italian courts.
The practice of increasing the price of the hardware by including a bundle Windows license is not new; depending on the manufacturer, dealing with it can be a long and quite frustrating process. In 2018, Luca filed a request to Lenovo for the refund of the cost of the pre-installed Windows license in his new Lenovo Ideapad convertible laptop.
What started as an easy consumer rights request ended up in a bureaucratic and legal quest which took years, several court proceedings, and much resilience and determination from Luca. In the end, the court confirmed the right to reimbursement for the pre-installed software and the decision pointed out that the manufacturer itself had expressly assumed this obligation in the Windows license.
But that is not all: in a historic decision, the court imposed upon Lenovo punitive damages amounting to 20,000 euros for abuse of the appeal procedures: Lenovo forced its customer to take part in a disproportionate and unnecessary legal process.
This decision marked a significant victory against the questionable commercial practices of tech companies of obstructing consumers from obtaining refunds for pre-installed proprietary software. However, it also underlined a harsh reality: while consumers may legally have the right to a refund, the actual cost of asserting that right remains high.
A few manufacturers have defined better policies and clearer procedures for requesting and obtaining refunds. But for others, consumers are forced to engage in persistent correspondence and, in many cases, take legal action as a last resort. These companies often use their position of power to discourage individuals who do not have the time and resources to be involved in a drawn-out litigation just for a Windows license refund.
The Refund4Freedom initiative is showcasing successful cases and documentation in Italy to help computer users who want to exercise their rights and request a refund. Beyond offering practical tools, the initiative aims to ensure that consumers don’t feel alone in this process, by empowering them with knowledge and guidance, that manufacturers should not impose specific operating systems on them.