Blog

The legal saga involving reseller ValueLicensing, Microsoft, and perpetual licenses continued through 2024 and is set for trial in 2026. Jonathan Horley, CEO of UK reseller ValueLicensing, described the drawn-out process as "feeling like a child that's got to walk and go to school." Indeed, it'll be five years since The Register reported on case by the time it makes it to trial.

It is ordered that there shall be an initial trial to determine the issue of liability (the “Liability Trial”). Directions for CMC 5 have been listed; certain documents currently designated by the Defendants as Restricted have been re-designated as Confidential; and the order deals with costs relating to the applications.

Many will be familiar with the infamous thought experiment devised by the Austrian physicist and Nobel prize winner Erwin Schrödinger to illustrate the paradox of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Schrödinger surmised that a cat (of a domestic feline variety) placed in a sealed box and exposed to a vile of poison triggered (or not triggered) by the random emission of a sub atomic particle could be both dead and alive at the same time.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal has issued its Judgment (Summary Judgement) dismissing ValueLicensing's strike out application for parts of Microsoft's amended defense.

Paragraph 1 of the Fourth CMC Order shall be varied to allow the defendants an additional seven days to reply to the 14th December summary judgment application, plus any other applications.