Microsoft · Microsoft Services Agreement (Legacy) · View original document ↗

Worldwide Royalty-Free Content License

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Monitor governance changes for Microsoft Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.

This analysis describes what Microsoft's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause operationalizes the service delivery model by authorizing Microsoft to process and transmit user-generated content across its infrastructure and communications systems. This license grant is structured as necessary to the technical functioning of the services rather than a separate or additional authorization.

Interpretive note: The scope of 'improve Microsoft products and services' is not defined in the document and may encompass activities such as AI model training; the agreement does not expressly state whether the license persists after account deletion.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users maintain ownership of their content while the terms authorize Microsoft to use that content for service delivery, protection, and product improvement purposes. The license is worldwide in scope and does not require royalty payments to users.

How other platforms handle this

Google Medium

When you upload, submit, store, send, receive, or share content to or through our services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so...

23andMe Medium

By submitting User Content through the Services, you grant 23andMe a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, perform, display, distribute, or otherwise disclose to third parties any such material for any purpose.

Amazon Medium

If you do post content or submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content t...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Microsoft has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.

Start Watcher free trial Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Except for material that we license to you, we don't claim ownership of the content you provide on the services. Your content remains your content. We also don't control, verify, or endorse the content that you and others make available on the services. To the extent necessary to provide the services to you and others, to protect you and the services, and to improve Microsoft products and services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use your content, for example, to make copies of, retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools your content on the services.

— Excerpt from Microsoft's Microsoft Services Agreement (Legacy)

Applicable regulations

DSA
European Union

Provision details

Document information
Document
Microsoft Services Agreement (Legacy)
Entity
Microsoft
Document last updated
March 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008418
Document ID
CA-D-00002
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
246226a9dde020cff365053de9faaea24c0f1babf1b6627a58b10222e23e9703
Analysis generated
April 28, 2026 08:17 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Microsoft
Document: Microsoft Services Agreement (Legacy)
Record ID: CA-P-008418
Captured: 2026-04-28 08:17:11 UTC
SHA-256: 246226a9dde020cf…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/microsoft/microsoft-services-agreement-legacy/worldwide-royalty-free-content-license/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Professional Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Professional includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Professional free trial

Or start with Watcher →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Microsoft's Worldwide Royalty-Free Content License clause do?

The clause operationalizes the service delivery model by authorizing Microsoft to process and transmit user-generated content across its infrastructure and communications systems. This license grant is structured as necessary to the technical functioning of the services rather than a separate or additional authorization.

How does this clause affect you?

Users maintain ownership of their content while the terms authorize Microsoft to use that content for service delivery, protection, and product improvement purposes. The license is worldwide in scope and does not require royalty payments to users.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Microsoft?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft.