McAfee sues Dixons Carphone in software dispute

Dixons Carphone is being sued by security firm McAfee following claims that the former violated an exclusive software contract.

The high-street technology giant is facing a major payout after failing to honour a deal to promote McAfee's security offerings.

Instead, Dixons Carphone advertised rival offerings from Symantec after signing a separate deal with the company, as well as promoting its products as an add-on purchase.

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According to the Sunday Times, the two parties signed a four-year deal back in 2017 that would see McAfee software highlighted in stores across the country.

The paper reported a company memo which saw Dixons tell staff to “ensure all McAfee anti-virus products are only displayed in the McAfee software bay and nowhere else.”

There had been reports that McAfee's products were incompatible with Microsoft's Windows 10S platform, which had been suspected as being behind the ban. However McAfee says that this should not have led to Dixons Carphone failing to support its services.

Following McAfee's protest, the High Court granted an interim injunction earlier this month requiring Dixons Carphone to continue promoting McAfee’s software, as well as paying £100,000 in costs.

Neither company has commented on the ruling, but Dixons Carphone has until the end of the week to submit its defence.

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Via Sunday Times