2023-07-14 23:34:17
A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) request to order Microsoft to temporarily halt its $69 purchase of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard. billions of dollars.
The FTC had also requested a stay from Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the Northern California District Court, but she denied the request late Thursday.
The appeals court’s decision removes one of the last obstacles preventing Xbox maker Microsoft from expanding its gaming business by completing the purchase of Activision.
The deal, the largest in the history of the video game industry, has yet to be approved in Britain.
In the United States, the FTC argued that the deal would hurt consumers, whether they play video games on consoles or buy subscriptions, because Microsoft would have an incentive to sideline rivals such as the group Sony. Microsoft responded by offering 10-year licenses to rivals.
But on Tuesday, Judge Corley ruled the deal was legal under antitrust law and denied the FTC’s request to impose a preliminary injunction to give the FTC time to bring the case before a judge. internal FTC in August. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Writing by Sandra Maler)
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