Microsoft today issued the following statement from Jack Krumholtz, Managing Director, Federal Government Affairs, regarding action taken by the U.S. House of Representatives on anti-spyware legislation:

"Microsoft congratulates the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Spy Act (H.R. 29) and the I-Spy Act (H.R. 744). These bills provide important tools in the battle against spyware and other deceptive software. The Spy Act outlaws fraudulent behavior such as keystroke recording, hijacking or accessing a consumer’s computer without permission, and the I-Spy Act increases funding for law enforcement to combat spyware and strengthens criminal laws in this area. Combined with technology solutions, consumer education and aggressive law enforcement, these bills will help in the battle against this increasingly insidious threat.

"We look forward to working with the bills’ sponsors and the Senate to ensure that any anti-spyware legislation sent to the President includes legal protections for companies that provide consumers with anti-spyware and anti-fraud software to protect their PCs. In its current form, these bills leave companies that are responding to consumer demand for strong anti-spyware tools vulnerable to frivolous lawsuits brought by the very companies responsible for the proliferation of spyware and other deceptive software. We are hopeful that the Senate will include in its bill a provision to prevent those who traffic in spyware from suing companies like Microsoft to keep them from providing these valuable consumer protections.

"We commend Chairman Barton, Ranking Member Dingell, and Representatives Bono, Towns, Stearns, Shakowsky and Inslee from the Commerce Committee, as well as Chairman Sensenbrenner, Ranking Member Conyers and Representatives Goodlatte and Lofgren from the Judiciary Committee for their leadership on this issue. We look forward to working with the Senate as it advances spyware legislation."