A small stage win to finalize the $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft must still go a few ways to the planned Completed a $69 billion purchase of Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard. Some countries have already waved the mega-merger through, but the EU, Great Britain and the USA are still excluded.
In a private consumer antitrust lawsuit Microsoft has now won, but the plaintiffs now have 20 days to clarify their legal challenge.
What happened? A judge in San Francisco, California, USA ruled that the lawsuit filed by a group of gamers had “no allegations” supporting their claim that the proposed acquisition would adversely affect competition in the market.
US gamers once morest Microsoft: merger with Call of Duty publisher as a topic of dispute
“The plaintiffs’ general contention that the merger might result in ‘higher prices, less innovation, less creativity, less consumer choice, reduced production and other possible anti-competitive effects’ is insufficient,” the US District Judge said Jacqueline Corley argued.
How did the “gamer lawsuit” come regarding? Well, US antitrust laws allow private consumers to challenge mergers and acquisitions independently of government action, as reported by Archyde.com.com.
Activision Blizzard will be an issue for a long time
Microsoft’s mega deal is far from over. Another evidence hearing by the FTC (USA) is scheduled for early August. The EU Commission also has a few questions and how the merger will be handled in Great Britain is also still uncertain.
How will the “gamer lawsuit” continue?
The Gamers Advocate, Joseph Saveritold Archyde.com they will be filing an amended lawsuit “with additional details” to “address any possibilities that the judge has indicated that we need to make more allegations.”