The Register - UK reseller sues Microsoft for £270m in damages

Microsoft is being sued by UK reseller ValueLicensing for £270m in damages over claims of restrictive contractual practices and abuse of dominance.

The claim, filed in the UK's High Court in London, asserts that Microsoft stifled the supply of preowned Microsoft licences in the UK and EEA and added clauses into contracts that restrict customers reselling their licences (in return for a discount).

"The net result," alleges the Derby-based software reseller, "has been higher prices and less choice for customers, who have been steered into cloud-based Office365 and Azure subscriptions."