A federal judge has mandated that Microsoft produce internal communications and documents related to its handling of secondhand software licensing, escalating a legal conflict with reseller ValueLicensing. The court issued a consent order requiring the tech giant to disclose materials tied to a 2013 internal presentation titled "Second-Hand Software," which regulators and the plaintiff have flagged as potentially adverse. The order also lifts blanket confidentiality claims on certain records and mandates unredacted searches of executives’ emails and SharePoint accounts for keywords such as "antitrust," "used licenses," and "Value Licensing" spanning 2012 to 2020. Microsoft must submit findings by November 30, 2026, and continue sharing updates with ValueLicensing every 21 days. The case, initially filed in 2021, has centered on allegations that Microsoft attempted to suppress the resale of used software licenses while promoting subscription-based services like Office 365. A prior case management conference scheduled for September 14, 2026, was canceled following the order. ValueLicensing’s legal counsel stated the ruling advances efforts to uncover how Microsoft navigated the secondary software market amid its shift to cloud subscriptions. The company has declined to comment on the court directive.