Microsoft moves “another step closer to the finish line” as FTC loses final appeal to prevent the Activision Blizzard acquisition
“This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews”
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has lost its final appeal protestingMicrosoft’s acquisition of ActivisionBlizzard, enabling the takeover to proceed as planned.
Microsoft’s intended acquisition of ActivisionBlizzardhas come undera great deal of scrutinyfrom governments the world over, but even thoughMicrosoft won its battle with the FTCwhen a federal judge ruled in favor of the acquisition, the FTC filed a fullnotice of appealwith the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to reverse the decision.
Now, however, the Ninth Circuit has “denied” the “motion of injunctive relief”, which means Microsoft is free to complete the $69bn acquisition.
“We appreciate the Ninth Circuit’s swift response denying the FTC’s motion to further delay the deal,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and president, toldThe Verge.
“This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Microsoft still needs to contend with the ruling by the UK government’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA), whichblocked the mergeron the grounds that it would allow Microsoft to cultivate a gaming monopoly. Microsoft’s own appeal against the CMA is ongoing within the UK court system.
Microsoft’s acquisition plans have found a warmer reception in other parts of the world.The Chinese government fully approved the deal, while theEU chose to approve the acquisition, albeit with some significant caveats.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
In other news, Larry Hryb, better known by his Xbox Live gamertag Major Nelson, has announced thathe’s leaving Microsoft after 22 years with the company.
NYT Connections today — hints and answers for Sunday, November 10 (game #518)
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair review: premium, highly customizable comfort
LG Electronics sets ambitious B2B revenue goal to offset declining consumer demand
