TOGETHER WITH

Table of Contents

• EDITOR’S RAMBLE 🗣

• FEATURED REPORT 📰

• IN OTHER NEWS 🗞

• AROUND THE WEB 🌐

• STUFF THAT MIGHT HELP YOU 👌

EDITOR’S RAMBLE 🗣

When you create anything (like an image or a song), you automatically benefit from copyright — people can’t legally copy that thing.

But, copyright protection only lasts for a period of time (in the UK, it lasts 70 years after the creator’s death).

After that time, the protection expires. The work goes into the public domain, meaning anyone can use it however they like — no permission needed!

The reasoning is essentially that by the end of that period, the creator should have benefitted enough from the works privately (from selling it, for example) and it should now benefit everyone.

This year, some old Popeye, Tintin, and Mickey Mouse creations became public.

Take this Karnival Kid video (the first to feature Mickey’s voice) — it’s now free to use 👇

So, if you’re keen to sell some Tintin t-shirts this weekend, go for it.

- Idin

FEATURED REPORT 📰

⚖️ Has Microsoft been acting unfairly? (a £2 billion question)

What’s going on here?

Dr Maria Luisa Stasi (a competition lawyer and policy researcher) filed an opt-out class action claim against Microsoft in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal. The Tribunal is a specialist court that handles cases involving competition and economic regulation.

Dr Stasi claims Microsoft has been overcharging companies for its Windows Server software.

Why has the claim been brought?

Windows Server is an operating system for managing computer networks. To work, it usually needs to be paired with some sort of cloud storage.

Microsoft offers a cloud storage product (Microsoft Azure). But there are other major cloud storage providers, like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Alibaba Cloud.

Non-Microsoft providers have to sign up for agreements known as Service Provider License Agreements (SPLAs). These require providers to pay Microsoft monthly fees to host and deliver Windows Server to their customers.

Dr Stasi claims there are two key issues with this:

1. Pricing disparity: Users of other cloud providers are charged more for Windows Server under SPLAs than those using Microsoft Azure. This makes it cheaper to run Windows Server on Azure compared to rival platforms.

2. Licence restrictions: On-premise licence holders (those using Windows Server locally — not on the cloud) can use the software on Azure without paying the licence fee. However, they must pay the fee to use it on a competing cloud platform.

Both these things make it more expensive to use Windows Server on competing platforms, which incentivises customers to stick with Microsoft Azure over its rivals.

Who is being represented here?

The class includes all UK businesses that licensed Windows Server from a non-Microsoft provider during the claim period (from December 2018 onwards). This amounts to around 59,000 organisations.

Dr Stasi estimates these businesses have lost around £2 billion because of Microsoft’s pricing practices and is seeking damages for this amount.

What happens next?

The Competition Appeal Tribunal must first decide:

1. If Dr Stasi is a suitable representative for the affected organisations.

2. Whether a group action is the best way to resolve this issue.

If it’s approved, the case will be heard by a three-member panel, including a Tribunal Chair (an expert in competition law) and two members with expertise in areas like economics, law, business, or technology.

Which law firms are involved?

Dr Stasi is represented by barristers from Brick Court Chambers and One Essex Court, instructed by Scott+Scott, a global firm specialising in complex litigation.

What’s the big picture effect?

UK regulators are increasing their focus on cloud infrastructure.

A couple years ago, OFCOM (the UK’s communications regulator) conducted a study of the cloud computing market and found it’s hard for businesses to switch between providers or use multiple suppliers. This limits competition, making it tough for smaller companies to grow and for new providers to enter the market.

The study flagged concerns about Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, which dominate 80% of the UK market. As a result, OFCOM has referred the market to the Competition and Markets Authority (the UK’s competition watchdog) for investigation.

This is a big move, given how important cloud computing is to UK businesses and consumers.

Law firms advising cloud providers may now need to help clients navigate the CMA investigation, understand its potential outcomes, and adjust their practices to meet any new requirements.

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IN OTHER NEWS 🗞

• 🇺🇸 Clyde & Co is growing its insurance practice in Texas by merging with Tillman Batchelor. The US-based firm specialises in advising insurance providers and handling litigation. With eight lawyers joining Clyde & Co’s Dallas office, the move boosts Clyde & Co’s presence and expertise in the US insurance market.

• 📡 Motorola Solutions is facing a £650 million class action, with Ashurst stepping in to represent them. This comes after the CMA ruled the company charged "excessive and unfair prices" for its Airwave radio network, used by UK emergency services like police and ambulance crews. Motorola's 2023 appeal against this decision failed, and now the Home Secretary is backing a lawsuit seeking compensation for 2,000 affected members.

• ⚖️ A partner from Osborne Clarke has been fined £50,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The trouble started when the partner emailed tax commentator Dan Neidle, trying to block him from sharing or discussing correspondence after Neidle accused ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi (the firm’s client) of lying about his taxes. The tribunal found this email breached the SRA code but ruled it wasn’t a strategic lawsuit against public participation (a SLAPP) case, as it didn’t aim to shut down scrutiny of Zahawi’s tax issues.

• 🏠 Slaughter and May advised the Ministry of Defence on reclaiming 36,000 homes from private ownership. This move brings the Armed Forces housing estate back into public ownership. The homes were originally sold in 1996, but this deal unwinds decades of arrangements. The goal is to tackle the shortage of suitable housing for service members. Here’s the law firm’s announcement on the deal.

AROUND THE WEB 🌐

• 💪 Goals: Write a letter to yourself and get it on 31 December 2025

• 🕒 Time: This QR code clock updates every second in real-time

• 🧠 Fun: Test your brain with a 5-minute daily riddle

STUFF THAT MIGHT HELP YOU 👌

• 📹️ Free application help: If you're applying to commercial law firms, check out my YouTube channel for actionable tips and an insight into the lifestyle of a commercial lawyer in London.