Microsoft loses bid to ban resale of licenses as UK court gives green light

• UK court rejects Microsoft’s arguments against ValueLicensing
• ValueLicensing plans to seek £270m from Microsoft
• Microsoft says it will appeal the decision

The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that Microsoft cannot prevent its customers from reselling perpetual software licenses, marking the end of a years-long debate.

The debate began in 2021, when ValueLicensing sought £270 million on the grounds that Microsoft was using contracts to prevent the resale of licenses – and although it claimed that the resale of licenses infringed copyright, the company failed to win its case.