Blog

Microsoft told a London appeals court Tuesday that the Competition Appeal Tribunal lacks jurisdiction to decide copyright infringement issues underpinning a reseller's £140 million ($189 million) case over alleged anticompetitive restrictions on the secondary market.

Microsoft has doubled down on its claims that the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal does not have jurisdiction to hear issues concerning copyright law, urging an appellate court to overturn a ruling that rejected its defence against a £270 million standalone antitrust lawsuit.

Microsoft told UK appeal judges on Tuesday that ValueLicensing would have no competition-law claim against the tech giant if its reselling of software licenses broke copyright rules. Atthe UK Court of Appeal, Microsoft is challenging competition judges’ jurisdiction and findingsover copyright matters in the case.

Microsoft Corporation and others v JJH Enterprises Limited (trading as ValueLicensing)will be heard in Court of Appeal - Civil Division - Court 17 on 28 and 29 April.

Microsoft’s appeal of matters in a claim brought against it by ValueLicensing over alleged unlawful practices concerning the bulk resale of the tech giant’s software licenses will be heard by the Court of Appeal next week, the reseller of the licenses has said. At the end of last year, Microsoft failed to persuade the UK’s specialized competition court that ValueLicensing breached copyright rules through its resale of licenses.