An undisclosed Microsoft presentation is now central to a multi-million dollar antitrust fight
There’s a new development in a Microsoft antitrust case, originally filed in England’s High Court in April 2021, and it doesn’t look good for the tech giant. A consent order from the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal is demanding documents from past and present Microsoft executives that may have a bearing on a £270 million (about $361 million) lawsuit filed by secondhand software reseller…
A multi-million pound antitrust case against Microsoft has taken a significant turn with the demand for documents from past and present executives by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal. ValueLicensing, a secondhand software reseller, claims Microsoft prevented the resale of pre-owned licenses in return for discounts on subscription services, leading to higher prices and less choice for customers.
A crucial piece of evidence, an internal "Second-Hand Software" presentation, is now central to the case. Microsoft has until October 31 to explain why it did not disclose this presentation earlier. The confidentiality designation on 11 documents has been lifted, and Microsoft must now provide its view on the allegations, cooperate in contacting former executives, and search for specific terms in emails and document repositories between 2012 and 2020.
The case could have far-reaching implications for enterprise leaders, who should consider hybrid licensing strategies to avoid potential penalties for surrendering perpetual licenses.
Written by urgent.news from Computerworld's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.