software exhaustion

The tag software exhaustion covers legal and licensing discussions around the first-sale doctrine and the resale of perpetual Microsoft software licenses. A key thread examines a UK Competition Appeal Tribunal ruling that preserved the secondary market for Windows and Office licenses purchased under Microsoft Enterprise Agreements, applying the Software Directive's exhaustion principle to those products. The ruling rejected Microsoft's copyright-based defense against subdivision and resale. This tag is relevant for IT procurement professionals, enterprise license managers, and legal teams navigating software asset management and compliance in the context of Microsoft perpetual licenses.