A UK-based software reseller has filed a £270m lawsuit against Microsoft for what it claims is an abuse of power in the software market. ValueLicensing, which specialises in the resale of second-hand licences, claims that Microsoft has “stifled the supply of preowned licences” through clauses in customer contacts since “at least 2016”.
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The reseller says the clauses give customers a discount on other Microsoft products and services, in exchange for not selling on their redundant licences. ValueLicensing’s business model relies on it being able to buy these licences to sell on.
It also claims that non-disclosure agreements have “eliminated most preowned licences from the market”.
Jonathan Horley, Managing Director at ValueLicensing, said:
“Microsoft’s illegal behaviour has impacted almost every organisation that provides desktop software for its workforce in the UK and the EEA”