So many comments on the ‘Will they, won’t they?’ at the moment, that I expect some of the betting agencies are getting interested. Here are a few of the predictions, and the odds that I would expect to be offered(?):

Microsoft buys Yahoo within the next 6 months 4/6

Private equity firms launch bids as Yahoo share price plummets 12/1

Shareholder class action against Yahoo for holding out 5/1

Jerry Yang gets fired 8/1

Stever Ballmer gets fired 20/1

Microsoft acquires Facebook instead 8/1

Microsoft acquires Twitter instead 50/1

This time the biter is being bitten. Sony BMG is being sued now to the tune of €300,000 (a little over $475,000) for using unlicensed copy of software from French company PointDev (apparently a trial version used beyond its expiry with a pirated access code). A subsequent search of the company’s servers resulted in an estimate that 47% of software there was unauthorised. This is being gleefully reported around the world, as Sony is known for its aggressive stance on copyright issues (e.g. in relation to Baidu and Yahoo), and still widely disliked over the rootkit/DRM fiasco of 2005. PointDev’s stance is that it is not about the money, but of principle.

Of course, Sony BMG could point at probably thousands of other companies and say that they are doing exactly the same thing - who knows how much of the software used around the world is actually authorized? But isn’t that what everyone else says about music-, video- and file-sharing? Not much room for that stance, then.

So what better opportunity, now the spotlight is on them, to do a real turnaround and become an opinion leader on IP and DRM? It might look hypocritical to some, but if the move is genuine, could be great PR. A no-prejudice €300,000 payment could be a good long-term investment. Somehow, though, I doubt their lawyers - or top management - will agree.