FTC appeals to block already-completed Microsoft-Activision deal

[Gamernyc78]

FTC appeals to block already-completed Microsoft-Activision deal

The Federal Trade Commission has made its appeal to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard – despite the …

www.gamesindustry.biz

As Reuters reports, lawyers representing the FTC and Microsoft appeared before a three-judge panel at the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals yesterday.

The FTC argued that district judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who denied the government body's appeal for a preliminary injunction in July, held the FTC to too high a standard.

Imad Abyad, an attorney representing the FTC, argued that the government body only had to show the potential for Microsoft to withhold games from other platforms rather than to make a case that the deal was anticompetitive.

Abyad said Microsoft had done this in the past after acquiring Zenimax in 2020, making some of its titles exclusive to Microsoft.

"I fail to understand how giving somebody a monopoly of something would be pro-competitive," he argued, as reported by CNN."It may be a benefit to some class of consumers, but that is very different than saying it is pro-competitive."

 

[Gamernyc78]

And it goes on.....

 

[KiryuRealty]

FTC appeals to block already-completed Microsoft-Activision deal

The Federal Trade Commission has made its appeal to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard – despite the …

www.gamesindustry.biz

As Reuters reports, lawyers representing the FTC and Microsoft appeared before a three-judge panel at the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals yesterday.

The FTC argued that district judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who denied the government body's appeal for a preliminary injunction in July, held the FTC to too high a standard.

Imad Abyad, an attorney representing the FTC, argued that the government body only had to show the potential for Microsoft to withhold games from other platforms rather than to make a case that the deal was anticompetitive.

Abyad said Microsoft had done this in the past after acquiring Zenimax in 2020, making some of its titles exclusive to Microsoft.

"I fail to understand how giving somebody a monopoly of something would be pro-competitive," he argued, as reported by CNN."It may be a benefit to some class of consumers, but that is very different than saying it is pro-competitive."

Anyone not expecting this is an idiot.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

This is in part why dealing with governments (and big bureaucracy in general) is garbage. Something gets greenlit then another part of the administration turns around and puts the breaks.

Well, in the end I don't MS having so much weight in the gaming space, so too bad for them this dance could last years and years.

 

[KiryuRealty]

This is in part why dealing with governments (and big bureaucracy in general) is garbage. Something gets greenlit then another part of the administration turns around and puts the breaks.

Well, in the end I don't MS having so much weight in the gaming space, so too bad for them this dance could last years and years.

The merger was never greenlit, the judge in the hearings in the summer just refused to issue a restraining order to prevent it from happening at that time.

The FTC even said at the time that they would not approve the merger and would continue to fight it.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

The merger was never greenlit, the judge in the hearings in the summer just refused to issue a restraining order to prevent it from happening at that time.

The FTC even said at the time that they would not approve the merger and would continue to fight it.

Why were all these people dancing in the streets?

 

[Loy310]

 

[Box]

It would be hilarious if this deal fails, or at the very least this whole court case goes on for years wasting billions of Microsoft money

 

[JAHGamer]

Great, 3+ more months of "news" from shills like HoeLaw, Destin, and Florian pretending to know what they're talking about

I was against the merger but glad it was over, ABK is dying, Xbox is dying, just let them kill each other off.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Why were all these people dancing in the streets?

Because they don't know what the FTC process is and thought that the hearings for the injunction was the FTC trial.

And because they are idiots.

 

[AshHunter216]

The best scenario for us that I could see happening, and even this seems extremely unlikely to me, is that MS are allowed to keep ABK, but are just forced to keep more than just COD multiplatform.

 

[Entropi]

The FTC is toothless today. MS has the politicians and judges in their pockets. Let ABK die under MS.

 

[KiryuRealty]

The best scenario for us that I could see happening, and even this seems extremely unlikely to me, is that MS are allowed to keep ABK, but are just forced to keep more than just COD multiplatform.

If the FTC determines the merger to be anticompetitive, which it clearly is, it can and will be unwound. All those leaked docs and emails have made it impossible for MS to make any credible argument that its intentions aren't to monopolize the video game industry.

The FTC isn't going to accept any half-measures.

 

[Sircaw]

And it goes on.....

IconEra meeting when the deal finally goes through

 

[Old Gamer]

IconEra meeting when the deal finally is undone.

FTFY

 

[nongkris]

Still hilarious how the judge had a son that worked for one of the companies they were supposed to be regulating and that somehow did not pose a problem. The fact that this was also not brought up in the appeal just shows the FTC is fine with judges being beholden to corporations

RDP Calls On Microsoft/Activision Judge Who Disclosed Son's Employment At Microsoft To Recuse | Revolving Door Project

On June 28, the Revolving Door Project sent a letter to Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who is presiding over the FTC’s challenge of the Microsoft/Activision merger in the Northern District of California. Judge Corley disclosed that her son is an employee of Microsoft at the start of the trial...

therevolvingdoorproject.org

 

[Bryank75]

Great, 3+ more months of "news" from shills like HoeLaw, Destin, and Florian pretending to know what they're talking about

I was against the merger but glad it was over, ABK is dying, Xbox is dying, just let them kill each other off.

This deal put their kids through college....if they had kids.

 

[Bryank75]

IconEra meeting when the deal finally goes through

Looks fairly current.

 

[John Elden Ring]

Man, just move on. It's over. Try blocking the next purchase instead.

 

[ethomaz]

Why were all these people dancing in the streets?

Because FTC is a joke? I mean I don't see how they will ever win.
They are a bit amateur to defend their cases in court.

And what matter is what court decide... FTC is like a lawyer that sue the other part.
The court have the final words.

Plus the court in US (maybe in the world ) is very political... right, left, etc.
And the appointed judge normally align with corporations ideias.