DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Microsoft-Activision deal back in hands of UK regulator after court pauses appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal is back in the hands of Britain's antitrust regulator after an appeals court granted an adjournment, and the grounds for why the UK should reconsider its block on the U.S. software giant's takeover were published. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) set out on Friday Microsoft's arguments for the reconsideration, as the U.S. battles to win UK approval to buy "Call of Duty" maker Activision. Explaining why the deal should now be given the green light, Microsoft argued that the binding commitments accepted by the European Union shortly after Britain had blocked the deal changed matters, court documents published showed. The CMA said it understood that Microsoft considered the recent licensing deal it agreed with Sony constituted a further material change of circumstance or special reason. Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal provisionally approved the adjournment on Monday subject to further submissions from the parties.

Persons: Candy, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Sam Tobin, Alistair Smout, Louise Heavens Organizations: Microsoft's Activision, Markets Authority, Activision, CMA, Microsoft, European Union, NVIDIA, Boosteroid, Sony, Thomson Locations: U.S, European, Britain

☆ British retail sales beat expectations in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - British retail sales rose more than expected in June, boosted by unusually hot weather and a rebound in food sales after a dip the month before when public holidays disrupted normal spending patterns, official figures showed on Friday. Retail sales volumes in June were 0.7% higher than in May, the Office for National Statistics said, a bigger increase than the 0.2% forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. Sales volumes were 1.0% lower than a year earlier, beating economists' forecasts for a 1.5% decline. "Retail sales grew strongly, with food sales bouncing back from the effects of the extra bank holiday, partly helped by good weather, and department stores and furniture shops also having a strong month," ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said. The ONS data showed a 7.8% annual rise in the value of retail sales excluding fuel.

Persons: Grant Fitzner, King Charles ', Sterling, David Milliken, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: National Statistics, U.S, Industry, British Retail Consortium, Thomson

☆ Broadcom's $69 bln VMware deal wins provisional UK clearance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] 3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the VMware cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationLONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator provisionally cleared U.S. tech company Broadcom's (AVGO.O) $69 billion purchase of VMware (VMW.N) on Wednesday, saying the deal would not weaken competition in the supply of critical computer server products. The proposed deal has highlighted chipmaker Broadcom's aim to diversify into enterprise software, but comes as regulators worldwide ramp up scrutiny of deals by Big Tech. Broadcom welcomed the unconditional approval, saying it expects to close the deal in the current fiscal year. The $69 billion deal, consisting of $61 billion in equity and the rest in debt, is also being examined by U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, William James, Jane Merriman Organizations: VMware, REUTERS, Broadcom's, Union, Broadcom, CMA, Big Tech, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Thomson Locations: British

☆ Buffett cut Activision stake before judge approved Microsoft merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned about 14.7 million Activision shares, or 1.9%, worth $1.24 billion on June 30, down from 49.4 million shares, or 6.3%, on March 31. The filing did not discuss the prices of any sales, or whether Berkshire bought or sold Activision stock in July. One of Berkshire's portfolio managers invested in Activision in late 2021, with Buffett boosting the stake to nearly 10% in 2022. Berkshire's remaining Activision stake - 14,658,121 shares - is exactly the size it was before Buffett started buying, suggesting that he has exited the arbitrage bet. Activision shares rose 10% to $90.99 on July 11 after U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco rejected U.S. Federal Trade Commission arguments that the merger would hurt competition in cloud gaming, consoles and subscription services.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Jonathan Stempel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Activision, Berkshire, Buffett, U.S, Federal, Commission, Markets Authority, BNSF, Apple, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, San Francisco, Omaha , Nebraska, New York

☆ Microsoft, UK ask for two-month pause of appeal over Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in April became the first major regulator to block the acquisition of the "Call of Duty" maker, citing concerns about the impact on competition in cloud gaming. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also opposed the tie-up, but suffered a major defeat last week when a federal court rejected the FTC's application to temporarily halt the deal. Companies cannot offer remedies after its publication and their only recourse is to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). But last week, less than an hour after a U.S. federal court ruled the deal could go ahead, the CMA said it could look again at a modified proposal. The judge also asked whether the FTC's initial defeat in the U.S. had been taken into consideration by the CMA.

Persons: Marcus Smith, Sam Tobin, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft, Monday, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, CMA, CAT, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S

☆ CNBC Daily Open: For banks, big profits don’t mean stock gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The Chinese economy slowsChina's second-quarter gross domestic product grew 6.3% from a year ago, falling short of the 7.3% increase analysts had expected. When tabulated month over month, GDP grew only 0.8%, much slower than the 2.2% increase in the first quarter. [PRO] Retail therapyChina's economy may be slowing, but the country's "premium" spenders are still splashing out on goods, according to Bernstein.

Persons: Elon Musk, Sony's, Bernstein Organizations: CNBC, Dow Jones, BBC, Activision, Activision Blizzard, U.S, Appeals, Federal, Microsoft, Activision's, PlayStation Locations: Asia, Pacific, Shanghai

☆ CNBC Daily Open: For banks, big profits don’t mean market gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The benchmark Stoxx 600 index retreated 0.11%, dragged down by telecom stocks after downbeat news from Nokia and Ericsson. Biggest bank gets biggerJPMorgan Chase's second-quarter net income surged 67% to $14.5 billion, or $4.75 per share. All figures beat Wall Street's estimates — and the bank's own, causing it to raise its expectations for the full year's net interest income.

Persons: Wall, Elon Musk, Sony's, Tanaya Macheel Organizations: JPMorgan Chase & Co, Headquarters, CNBC, Dow Jones, Nokia, Ericsson, Biggest, JPMorgan, First, Revenue, BBC, Activision, Activision Blizzard, U.S, Appeals, Federal, Microsoft, Activision's, PlayStation, of Locations: New York, First Republic, Southern, of New York

The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

☆ UK regulator extends Microsoft-Activision deadline to Aug. 29
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday extended its final deadline on Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal to Aug. 29 after its received a "detailed and complex" new proposal from Microsoft that claimed material changes in circumstance. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) become the first major regulator to block the acquisition of the "Call of Duty" maker in April when it issued its final report. Yet on Wednesday the CMA said a restructured deal between Microsoft and Activision could satisfy its concerns, subject to a new investigation. On Friday it extended its deadline to either accept final undertakings or make a final order by six weeks to Aug. 29, although it said it would aim to do it as soon as possible and before that date. Reporting by Muvija M and Paul Sandle; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Jason Neely Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Markets Authority, CMA, U.S, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Thomson

☆ UK extends Activision deadline after receiving Microsoft's 'complex' proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also opposed, but it suffered a major defeat on Tuesday when a federal court ruled in favour of Microsoft. It is battling on and filed an emergency motion to an appeals court requesting a "temporary pause" to the deal closing late on Thursday. Yet on Tuesday, less than an hour after a U.S. federal court ruled the deal could go ahead, the CMA said it could look again at a modified proposal. A Bloomberg report said Microsoft and Activision were considering giving up some control of their cloud-gaming business in Britain to appease the CMA. Additional reporting by Muvija M; editing by Jason Neely and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brad Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Smith, Gareth Mills, Charles Russell Speechlys, They'll, Muvija, Jason Neely, Louise Heavens Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Activision, Markets Authority, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Britain, EU

Still, any outstanding regulatory hurdle makes it more likely that the agreement between Microsoft and Activision will expire on July 18 without the deal having been completed. The FTC's court filing about the appeal gave no details, which will go before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. The FTC may request a stay from the appeals court stopping the deal from closing. When U.S. antitrust agencies lose merger challenges in court, appeals are rare. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We’re, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Microsoft's, Ninth Circuit, FTC, Biden, Markets Authority, Japan's Nintendo, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked a federal court on Thursday for a stay that would prevent Microsoft (MSFT.O) from closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). A federal judge had ruled for Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the agency had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. The FTC appealed that loss late on Wednesday, and Microsoft has said it would fight that appeal. In its motion, the FTC asked for an order that would prevent the deal from closing until after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on a separate stay request filed with that court.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Diane Bartz, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: Britain, California

☆ Microsoft, Activision weigh sale of some UK cloud-gaming rights - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 13 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) are considering giving up some control of their cloud-gaming business in the UK to appease regulators so they can complete their $69 billion merger, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The sale could involve the cloud-based market rights for games in the UK to a telecommunications, gaming or internet-based computing company, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday a restructured deal between the companies could satisfy its anti-competition concerns regarding the merger, subject to a new investigation. Microsoft and Activision did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reporting by Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lavanya, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Microsoft Corp, Activision Blizzard, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Activision, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Why the CMA blocked the Microsoft-Activision dealThe U.K. CMA efficiently blocked the acquisition in April, saying the deal raises competition concerns in the nascent cloud gaming market. Like other regulators, the CMA is concerned that Microsoft could take Activision games and make them exclusive to its own platforms. Cloud gaming is a technology that enables gamers to access games via remote servers — effectively streaming a game like you would a movie on Netflix. The CMA, Microsoft and Activision now look set to hash out a possible resolution to the regulator's concerns to get a deal over the line. watch nowMicrosoft has already offered concessions to the U.K. regulator which were rejected.

Persons: Redmond, Michael Ciaglo, Alex Haffner, Fladgate, It's, it's, Haffner, Microsoft Organizations: Activision, Markets, Federal, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, CMA, Netflix, Warfare, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, FTC, Nintendo, European Union Locations: Denver , Colorado

☆ UK's CMA open to new Microsoft-Activision probe after u-turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It is really an unprecedented and dramatic turn of events," said Alex Haffner, competition partner at UK law firm Fladgate. Becket McGrath, a partner at Euclid Law, said it seemed like the CMA wanted a way out of an "uncomfortable position". Still, with the larger $69 billion deal back on track, the two sides are now focused on modifying the deal to obtain regulatory approval. Jonathan Compton, partner at law firm DMH Stallard and a specialist in competition law, said it was difficult to see what structural alterations the company could make. Britain's competition regulator has not given any further clarification on its U-turn or the new investigation, including whether it would fit into its Phase 1 and 2 process, the latter of which can take up to a year.

Persons: Alex Haffner, Becket McGrath, Jonathan Compton, DMH, Euclid's McGrath, Sarah Cardell, Paul Sandle, Muvija, Martin Coulter, Amy, Jo Crowley, Kate Holton Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Markets Authority, CMA, European Union, Euclid Law, Thomson Locations: United States, Devika

☆ Microsoft-Activision deal not yet game on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Britain’s antitrust regulator also indicated it was open to new concessions, but the parties will have to renegotiate their deal and get it approved. Two developments on Tuesday increased the odds of Microsoft getting the deal down the line. That’s a rapid change of tone from May, when the watchdog concluded blocking the Microsoft-Activision deal is the “only effective and proportionate way forward." As a result, Activision’s share price jumped 11% on Tuesday, its narrowest spread to Microsoft’s $95-a-share offer since the deal was announced. The agency's concern was that the deal would potentially preclude the availability of those videogames on other platforms.

Persons: hasn’t, Satya Nadella, it’s, ”, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Federal Trade Commission, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Markets Authority, Activision, FTC, CMA, Financial, Thomson Locations: U.S, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday that Microsoft may go forward with its planned acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, turning aside antitrust enforcers' request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the $69 billion deal. The FTC had originally asked the judge to stop the proposed deal, arguing it would give Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), maker of the Xbox gaming console, exclusive access to Activision (ATVI.O) games including the best-selling "Call of Duty." The deal would be the largest for Microsoft and the biggest in the history of the videogame business. The FTC's complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming. And while much of the testimony in the recent trial focused on "Call of Duty," Activision produces other bestsellers like "World of Warcraft," "Diablo" and the mobile game "Candy Crush Saga."

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Douglas Farrar, we'll, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Satya Nadella, Diane Bartz, Caitlin Webber Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Britain's, Markets Authority, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Microsoft Corp, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo, Sony Group, Activision Blizzard, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: U.S, San Francisco

Activision shares surged 10% on the day, as the U.S. and Britain have been the two countries opposed to what would be Microsoft's biggest deal ever and the largest transaction in the videogame industry's history. Microsoft shares rose 64 cents to $332.47. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. "It does seem like the Microsoft and the CMA could work out a deal within the next couple of weeks," said D.A. The FTC's complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, ”, Joost Van Dreunen, University's, Corley, Douglas Farrar, we'll, Dado Ruvic, Biden, Brad Smith, Franco Granda, Satya Nadella, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Jaspreet Singh, Aditya Soni, Chris Sanders, Caitlin Webber, Matthew Lewis David Gregorio, Muralikumar Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Biden, U.S, Markets Authority, University's Stern School of Business, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, FOCUS Gaming, CMA, Davidson &, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, British, Britain, San Francisco, New, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ UK regulator open to looking at Microsoft-Activision deal again
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft responded by saying it was considering how the transaction might be modified to address concerns made by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the first regulator to block the deal. The deal to buy the "Call of Duty" maker is the largest ever for Microsoft and the biggest in videogame history. The CMA became the first major antitrust regulator to block the deal in April, citing concerns about competition in the nascent cloud gaming market. Both companies reacted furiously to the decision, with Microsoft saying it "had shaken confidence" in Britain as a destination for tech businesses. A U.S. judge ruled earlier on Tuesday that Microsoft could go ahead with the deal, rejecting antitrust enforcer FTC's request for a temporary stop.

Persons: Britain's, FTC's, Paul Sandle, William James, Kate Holton Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, U.S

☆ EU antitrust regulators set Aug. 7 deadline for Adobe, Figma deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 3 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by Aug. 7 whether to clear Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion bid for cloud-based designer platform Figma after a preliminary review, according to a European Commission filing on Monday. Photoshop maker Adobe sought EU approval last Friday. A request made a month before the summer holidays suggests the company expects the EU competition enforcer to open a full-scale investigation following its initial scrutiny. The Commission earlier this year warned the deal threatens to significantly affect competition in the market for interactive product design and whiteboarding software. Britain's competition watchdog on Friday gave Adobe a week to offer remedies to address its concerns or face a deeper investigation.

Persons: Foo Yun Chee, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Adobe, Zoom Video Communications, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ UK regulator may refer Adobe's $20 bln Figma deal to deeper probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 30 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday said Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma may be referred to a deeper investigation as it could "reduce innovation". The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said unless the parties offer acceptable undertakings to address competition concerns, the deal would be referred to a Phase 2 investigation. CMA had said in May it was looking into the deal, announced in September last year. "Adobe has no meaningful plans to compete in the product design space," Adobe said in a statement. "We remain confident in the merits of the case as Figma's product design is an adjacency to Adobe’s core creative products."

Persons: We're, Sorcha O'Carroll, Adobe, Eva Mathews, Radhika Anilkumar, Chavi Mehta, Janane Venkatraman, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Adobe, Markets Authority, CMA, Regulators, Big Tech, Activision, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Canada says Microsoft deal to buy Activision likely to lessen competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - Canada's Department of Justice has concluded that Microsoft's (MSFT.O) deal to buy "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) "is likely to" lead to less competition in some aspects of gaming, according to a court filing on Thursday. Microsoft has pressed for a decision in the court fight before the July 18 termination date for the deal. "We received notice from the Canada Competition Bureau that it would continue to monitor our acquisition of Activision Blizzard after the formal waiting period preventing the deal to close expired," a Microsoft spokesperson said. Microsoft's bid to acquire the "Call of Duty" videogame maker also faces opposition from British competition authorities. Microsoft's appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal is scheduled for July 28.

Persons: Microsoft's, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Canada's Department of Justice, Activision, Microsoft's, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Microsoft, Canada Competition Bureau, Activision Blizzard, Thomson Locations: Canada, U.S, British, Washington

"You would have a revolt if you were to remove the game from one platform," said Kotick. He said that removing "Call of Duty" from PlayStation, which is made by Sony Group (6758.T), would be "very detrimental" to Activision's business. The Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to stop the Microsoft acquisition temporarily in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to testify on Wednesday afternoon before Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in federal court. The agency says the transaction would give Microsoft, which makes the Xbox console, exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo (7974.T) and Sony Group out in the cold.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, Kotick, Satya Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Diane Bartz, Greg Bensinger, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FRANCISCO, Activision, Microsoft, PlayStation, Sony Group, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington, San Francisco

☆ Microsoft, Activision CEOs expected to urge US judge to allow $69 billion merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to stop the transaction temporarily in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is expected to testify on Wednesday morning, followed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in the afternoon. The case, which is being heard in federal court in San Francisco, will be decided by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. The FTC says the transaction would give Microsoft exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo (7974.T) and Sony Group (6758.T) out in the cold. Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Greg Bensinger in San Francisco Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, Satya Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Diane Bartz, Greg Bensinger, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S, Microsoft, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Nintendo, Sony Group, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, United States, Washington

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to stop the proposed acquisition because, it argues, it would give Microsoft, maker of the Xbox console, exclusive access to Activision games, which include the highly popular "Call of Duty." Asked if Microsoft would have any incentive to refuse to allow the games on Sony's PlayStation in order to sell more of its Xbox consoles, Nadella responded, "It makes no economic sense and no strategic sense." To address the FTC concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license the blockbuster "Call of Duty" to rivals. It has also argued that it is better off financially by licensing the games to all comers. Kotick argued there was no incentive for Microsoft, if it closes the deal for Activision, to restrict who offers the company's games.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Bobby Kotick, Kotick, Diane Bartz, Greg Bensinger, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, FRANCISCO, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, PlayStation, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: California, Downtown San Francisco , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, San Francisco, United States, Washington

Search resuls for: "Britain's Competition"

25 mentions found