"The case in the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) centers on the cost - sometimes as much as four times as high - of running Windows Server on Google, AWS, or Alibaba clouds. Filed in December 2024, the case is being spearheaded by digital markets regulation expert Dr Maria Luisa Stasi. It was given added impetus by the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) final findings in July that Microsoft's licensing policies disadvantaged customers using its three main rivals."
"Among other findings, the CMA's 637-page report said: "We found significant differences relating to price and/or quality when customers use these software products on Microsoft's cloud rather than AWS or Google's." The report also found that "Microsoft does not make certain products available to AWS and Google through their licensing agreements, and customers with existing licenses cannot bring these to AWS and Google in most instances." This affected AWS's and Google's competitive offerings."
"Stasi said today: "If your organization has used Windows Server on Google, Amazon or Alibaba's cloud platforms at any point since December 2018, you have likely paid too much money. This legal action seeks to put that to an end." She added: "Billions have been drained from budgets as a result of Microsoft's licensing practices. Cloud costs are soaring for UK businesses. Getting in touch does not commit you to anything but could result in your business or organization clawing back budget for IT costs.""
Microsoft faces a £2 billion legal claim in the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal over alleged overcharging for running Windows Server on Google, AWS, or Alibaba clouds. The claim, filed in December 2024 and led by Dr Maria Luisa Stasi, follows the Competition and Markets Authority's July findings that Microsoft's licensing policies disadvantaged customers using rival cloud providers. The CMA's 637-page report identified significant price and quality differences when customers use Microsoft's cloud and found Microsoft withheld certain products from AWS and Google licensing agreements. The CAT hearing in December will decide whether the case can proceed to trial.
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