Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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Broadcom’s VMware has secured an initial advantage in its legal dispute with industrial giant Siemens, after a magistrate judge sided with the software company’s efforts to keep the case in a U.S. court. Siemens had sought to move the case to Germany, arguing that the Master Software License Agreement (MSLA) it signed with VMware in 2012 stipulated legal disputes should be resolved in Munich courts. However, the judge found that the language in Siemens’ MSLA was too narrow, favoring VMware’s position that the dispute was over copyright infringement, not just contractual issues.
Why it matters
This case highlights the importance of precise contract language, as well as the strategic considerations around forum selection in high-stakes legal battles between major technology companies. VMware likely wanted to keep the case in the U.S. to potentially seek greater damages under copyright law,…
