Microsoft entered into negotiations with Stac Electronics to licence Stacker, but the deal fell though (allegedly, Stac claim that Microsoft didn't offer any money, just the right to sell enhancement products).
So Microsoft instead licensed a competing product called DoubleDisk from Vertisoft. So of course MS didn't pay anything to Stac Electronics, but presumably Vertisoft was compensated (hopefully fairly, we haven't heard otherwise... But this is Microsoft)
Stac later successfully sued MS for patient infringement, which is where the story about Microsoft alleged "no cash licensing" offer came from.
Microsoft entered into negotiations with Stac Electronics to licence Stacker, but the deal fell though (allegedly, Stac claim that Microsoft didn't offer any money, just the right to sell enhancement products).
So Microsoft instead licensed a competing product called DoubleDisk from Vertisoft. So of course MS didn't pay anything to Stac Electronics, but presumably Vertisoft was compensated (hopefully fairly, we haven't heard otherwise... But this is Microsoft)
Stac later successfully sued MS for patient infringement, which is where the story about Microsoft alleged "no cash licensing" offer came from.