All US disputes that escape arbitration must be litigated in Washington State courts under Washington law — meaning you may have to travel to Washington State to pursue any court claim against Microsoft.
Combining mandatory arbitration with Washington State exclusive jurisdiction means that even the rare dispute that proceeds to court creates practical and financial barriers to access for consumers in other states.
If you live outside Washington State and have a dispute with Microsoft that somehow proceeds to court, you must litigate it in King County, Washington — creating significant travel costs and practical barriers to justice for most US consumers.
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REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages Washington State consumer protection law (RCW 19.86 Consumer Protection Act) as the governing law; FAA provisions on arbitration enforceability; Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements for international disputes; and EU Regulation (EC) No 1215/2012 (Brussels I Recast) which generally prohibits exclusive jurisdiction clauses in consumer contracts that conflict with the consumer's home jurisdiction. EU consumers retain the right to sue in their home courts under Brussels I Recast Art. 18.
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Watch Microsoft CopilotCombining mandatory arbitration with Washington State exclusive jurisdiction means that even the rare dispute that proceeds to court creates practical and financial barriers to access for consumers in other states.
If you live outside Washington State and have a dispute with Microsoft that somehow proceeds to court, you must litigate it in King County, Washington — creating significant travel costs and practical barriers to justice for most US consumers.
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