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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

☆ Microsoft attempts to pick apart US legal argument against deal to buy Activision
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal judge to stop the transaction temporarily in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide if it can go forward. If the deal goes through, Microsoft has pledged to provide the game to Switch for 10 years. Microsoft attorney Beth Wilkinson pressed Lee in an effort to poke holes in his analysis of the deal, pointing out limitations of his economic modeling. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, a federal judge in San Francisco who will decide the case, said little on Tuesday. Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco Additional reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Microsoft's, Robin Lee, Lee, Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson, “, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Greg Bensinger, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FRANCISCO, Activision, Harvard, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Xbox, FTC, Nintendo, Sony Group, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: Redmond, Washington, San Francisco, United States

☆ Adobe's $20 bln deal to acquire Figma under threat from EU regulators - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - European antitrust regulators are preparing to launch a formal investigation into software giant Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout deal for cloud-based designer platform Figma later this year, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. EU authorities plan to push forward with a detailed investigation, over anti-competition concerns, which could take many months and may ultimately derail the deal altogether, FT said, citing people with knowledge of the move. These moves underline global regulators' worries that large tech firms acquiring smaller innovative rivals could throttle competition. Adobe is in the preliminary phase of the regulatory process and having constructive discussions with British, EU, and U.S. regulators about the deal while Figma looks forward to continued conversations with regulators, the companies said in separate emailed statements to Reuters. EU regulators have earlier said that Adobe would need to secure antitrust approval for the Figma deal even though the deal falls short of the bloc's turnover threshold for a review.

Persons: Lavanya Ahire, Anusha S, Jose Joseph, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Rashmi, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Financial Times, Adobe, EU, Reuters, Bloomberg, U.S . Justice Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

A 1.7% decline in Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and a 1.3% dip in Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) weighed on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. S&P 500 fell 0.36% to end the session at 4,409.77 points. Of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes, eight declined, led by communication services (.SPLRCL), down 1%, followed by a 0.83% loss in information technology (.SPLRCT). Declining stocks outnumbered rising ones within the S&P 500 (.AD.SPX) by a 1.4-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 24 new highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 112 new highs and 67 new lows.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Thomas Barkin, Sam Stovall, Morgan Stanley, Sruthi Shankar, Shristi, Noel Randewich, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: Microsoft, Nasdaq Adobe, Nasdaq, Dow, Federal, Richmond Fed, CFRA, University of Michigan's, Microsoft Corp, Inc, Nvidia Corp, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Adobe Inc, iRobot Corp, Micron Technology, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru, Oakland , California

☆ Wall Street futures rise as economic data fuels hopes of Fed policy shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.01%, S&P 0.06%, Nasdaq 0.09%June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures inched up on Friday as signs of easing price pressures and slowing economic growth raised hopes the Federal Reserve could end its monetary tightening campaign soon. ET, is expected to show the index rose to 60 in June from 59.2 in May. Meanwhile, a simultaneous expiration of stock options, stock index futures and index options contracts on Friday, known as triple witching, could cause a spike in market volatility. ET, Dow e-minis were up 5 points, or 0.01%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 2.75 points, or 0.06%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 14.5 points, or 0.09%. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sruthi Shankar, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, Microsoft, Nvidia, University, Dow e, Adobe Inc, iRobot, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

Gains in megacap stocks including Nvidia and Microsoft set up the tech-heavy Nasdaq for its eighth consecutive week of gains, while the benchmark S&P 500 was set for its fifth straight week of rise. Trading, however, is expected to be volatile on Friday due to the simultaneous expiration of stock options, stock index futures and index options contracts, known as triple witching. ET, is expected to show the index rose to 60 in June from 59.2 in May. The S&P index recorded 19 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 74 new highs and 10 new lows. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Mark Luschini, Janney Montgomery Scott, Sruthi Shankar, Shristi, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Nvidia, Adobe, Dow, Nasdaq, Microsoft, Trading, University of, Dow Jones, Adobe Inc, iRobot, NYSE, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ iRobot shares surge after UK regulator clears Amazon acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon 's planned $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot , the maker of Roomba vacuums, has been greenlit by Britain's competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority said it determined the deal would not result in "a substantial lessening of competition" in the U.K. An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC in a statement: "We're pleased with the UK Competition and Markets Authority's decision and are committed to supporting regulatory bodies in their work. Amazon announced last year it would acquire iRobot for $1.7 billion, as part of a move to deepen its presence in the smart home. WATCH: Amazon's smart home dominance and how it could grow with iRobot acquisition

Persons: Roomba, We're Organizations: iRobot, Markets Authority, CMA, Amazon, CNBC, Competition, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Union

☆ UK clears Amazon's $1.7 billion deal for Roomba-maker iRobot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 16 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday cleared Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) planned $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot Corp (IRBT.O), maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had concluded that the deal would not lead to competition concerns in the UK. "We're pleased with the UK Competition and Markets Authority's decision and are committed to supporting regulatory bodies in their work," a spokesperson for Amazon said. The news sent shares in U.S-listed iRobot up 12% in pre-market trade, while Amazon's stock was marginally down. EU antitrust regulators will decide by July 6 whether to clear the deal, while the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also examining the acquisition.

Persons: We're, Colin Angle, Eva Mathews, Devika Syamnath, Jason Neely Organizations: Amazon.com, iRobot Corp, Markets Authority, Competition, Amazon, CMA, Regulators, Big Tech, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Explainer: Why is UK food inflation so stubbornly high?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) said on Friday there were "encouraging early signs" that food inflation was starting to ease across the market, it remains stubbornly high, running at over 19% in April, according to the most recent official data. Below are possible reasons why:NOT ALL COMMODITY PRICES ARE FALLINGSome global commodity prices have fallen enabling supermarkets to pass on reductions in areas such as milk, bread, butter, pasta and oils. Generally speaking, food retailers and their suppliers operate with long-term contracts. Having eventually secured better prices, suppliers are reluctant to give up those hard won gains. Some politicians and trade unions have raised concerns about profiteering by food retailers, saying they have kept prices high despite falls in commodity, energy and shipping costs.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, reassurances, Ken Murphy, Andrew Opie, Tesco's Murphy, James Davey, David Evans Organizations: Bank of England, Tesco, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, British Retail Consortium, THE, Reuters, Brexit, London School of Economics, Supermarkets, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Japan, BREXIT, London, Brussels

☆ Vodafone and Three merger faces scrutiny from competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The $19 billion tie-up will be scrutinised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust regulator which made global headlines in April when it blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. The long-awaited mobile deal reduces the number of networks from four to three, challenging a tenet long held by regulators that four help to keep prices low in major markets. "The government's desire to make the UK a 5G powerhouse requires a lot of investment," he said. One London-based investment banker, who declined to be named, said he put the chance of the deal receiving the green light from regulators at 50%. A major telecoms investor said the deal could be approved, but only with strong remedies, and that could risk undermining its rationale.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Activision Blizzard, Hutchison, Paolo Pescatore, Peter Broadhurst, Moring, James Gray, Sarah Cardell, Robert Finnegan, Gray, Paul Sandle, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Hutchison, O2, Vodafone, CK, HK, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, Ofcom, European Commission, Foresight, Hutchison's, UK plc, Victoria, Crowell, CMA, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Britain's, Tesco Mobile, Telefonica, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Britain, Europe, China, London, Germany

☆ UK's Sunak scraps plan for supermarket price cap after backlash - Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has abandoned plans to ask supermarkets to impose a voluntary price cap on basic goods after a backlash from retailers, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday. British ministers are pursuing other measures to deal with the country's sky-rocketing food inflation, and officials had reassured retailers there would be no intervention in prices, the Telegraph said on Wednesday, citing sources. Britain's competition regulator told supermarkets in late May it was looking at their earnings to identify which supply chains it needed to examine more closely as part of efforts to tackle food price inflation. Asda, Britain's third largest supermarket group, this week froze prices of over 500 products until the end of August, adding to signs that a surge in food inflation is set to abate and even reverse in the coming months. Reporting by Anusha S and Bharat Govind Gautamin Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Anusha, Bharat Govind Gautamin, Diane Craft, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: British, Telegraph, British Retail Consortium, Asda, Thomson Locations: Bharat Govind Gautamin Bengaluru

Under the terms, Vodafone will own 51% and Hutchison 49% of the combined group, which will be led by current Vodafone UK boss Ahmed Essam. The finance chief of Hutchison's Three UK, Darren Purkis, will take the same role in the new group. The combined operator will have about 27 million customers, overtaking BT's (BT.L) EE and VM O2, jointly owned by Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O). Vodafone, which is currently Britain's third-biggest mobile operator, and fourth-placed Hutchison will have options which would allow Vodafone to acquire the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's 49% stake in the future. Shares in Vodafone, which fell to a 25-year low of 71 pence on Tuesday, rose 3.6% after the deal was announced.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Canning Fok, Ahmed Essam, Darren Purkis, Hutchison, Vodafone's Essam, Robert Finnegan, Gail Cartmail, Paul Sandle, Clare Jim, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Vodafone, CK, HK, Hutchison, Hutchison's, BT's, VM O2, Telefonica, Liberty Global, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Unite, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Britain, Hong Kong, China, London

☆ Microsoft-Activision: Mega deal caught in crosshairs of antitrust regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) faced another hurdle on Tuesday after a U.S. judge granted a request by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to temporarily block the deal. The acquisition has attracted scrutiny from several antitrust enforcers, including Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), over concerns it would hinder competition in the nascent cloud gaming market. If not for the court order, Microsoft could have closed the deal as early as Friday. Here is a snapshot of key events in the Microsoft-Activision saga:Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tiyashi Datta, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: Governments race to regulate AI tools
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

CHINA* Planning regulationsThe Chinese government will seek to initiate AI regulations in its country, billionaire Elon Musk said on June 5 after meeting with officials during his recent trip to China. ITALY* Investigating possible breachesItaly's data protection authority plans to review other artificial intelligence platforms and hire AI experts, a top official said in May. ChatGPT became available again to users in Italy in April after being temporarily banned over concerns by the national data protection authority in March. SPAIN* Investigating possible breachesSpain's data protection agency said in April it was launching a preliminary investigation into potential data breaches by ChatGPT. The Biden administration earlier in April said it was seeking public comments on potential accountability measures for AI systems.

Persons: Alan Turing, Elon Musk, Margrethe Vestager, Vestager, CNIL, Dado Ruvic, Ziv Katzir, Israel, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Michael Bennet, Biden, Alessandro Parodi, Amir Orusov, Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan, Milla Nissi Organizations: Microsoft, Authority, Reuters, EU, Key, European Consumer Organisation, Seven, REUTERS, Israel Innovation Authority, UNITED, International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations, U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Thomson Locations: AUSTRALIA, BRITAIN, Britain, CHINA, China, Beijing, U.S, FRANCE, Italy, Hiroshima, Japan, IRELAND, ISRAEL, Israel, ITALY, JAPAN, SPAIN, Gdansk

☆ Meta offers to limit use of ad data to address UK competition concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) - Britain's competition watchdog on Friday said social media giant Meta (META.O) had offered to limit its use of other businesses' advertising data for its Facebook Marketplace service to address the regulator's competition concerns. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was minded to accept the commitments, which include advertisers being able to opt out of allowing their data to be used to improve the Facebook Marketplace classified ads platform. CMA executive director of enforcement Michael Grenfell said: "Reducing the risk of Meta unfairly exploiting the data of businesses who advertise on its platform for its own competitive advantage could help many UK businesses who advertise there. "We are now consulting on these commitments which we believe, at this stage, will address our concerns." Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Microsoft sets out grounds for Activision appeal against UK regulator
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) is challenging Britain's decision to block its $69 billion takeover of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) on the grounds of "fundamental errors" in the assessment of Microsoft's cloud gaming services. Britain's anti-trust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), vetoed the deal in April, saying it could hurt competition in the nascent cloud gaming market, sparking a furious row. Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday it had filed an appeal against the ruling to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), and a summary of its arguments was published on Friday. It said the CMA's conclusion that the deal would lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the United Kingdom's cloud gaming market was wrong, according to the summary. ISetting out five grounds for appeal in total, it also said it would challenge the CMA's understanding of the cloud gaming market and the impact of the deal.

☆ Microsoft wins EU antitrust approval for Activision deal vetoed by UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Microsoft has in recent months signed licensing deals with Nvidia (NVDA.O), Nintendo (7974.T), Ukraine's Boosteroid and Japan's Ubitus to bring Activision games to their platforms should the deal go through. "The European Commission has required Microsoft to license popular Activision Blizzard games automatically to competing cloud gaming services. CLOUD GAMING MARKET GROWTHVestager said the Commission had a different view from UK regulators of how the game streaming market, which accounted for just 1% of the total market last year, would develop. "Microsoft and Activision’s lawyers will also use the decision to provide greater ballast to their appeal of the CMA's decision."

☆ Regulators are starting to investigate how to deal with the rapid rise of consumer AI like ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators are starting to investigate how to deal with the rapid rise of consumer AI like ChatGPT. The UK's competition watchdog is reviewing how to make AI accessible but safe to use. US vice president Kamila Harris met with top AI firms on Thursday to discuss safety around AI. The UK government is calling for an investigation into the rapid rise of consumer AI like ChatGPT to create guidance around how to protect and support consumers, businesses, and the economy. Twitter CEO Elon Musk, AI experts, and leaders in the industry including Steve Wozniak and Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque signed an open letter requesting a pause on the development of AI more powerful than OpenAI's GPT4 as worries mount about the dangers it poses.

☆ UK reviews AI models as rapid growth fuels safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Governments around the world are now trying to find a balance whereby they can assess and rein in some of the potential negative consequences of AI without stifling innovation. Britain in March opted to split regulatory responsibility for AI between those bodies that oversee human rights, health and safety, and competition, rather than creating a new body dedicated to the technology. CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement that AI had burst into the public consciousness and was developing at speed. The review in Britain echoes investigations taking place around the world, from Beijing to Brussels and Washington. Italy, a G7 member, took ChatGPT offline last month to investigate its potential breach of personal data rules.

☆ UK competition regulator launches review of AI models
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator launched an initial review of artificial intelligence models on Thursday, saying it will look into competition and consumer protection considerations in the development and use of AI foundation models. "It’s crucial that the potential benefits of this transformative technology are readily accessible to UK businesses and consumers while people remain protected from issues like false or misleading information," Competition and Markets Authority CEO Sarah Cardell said in a statement. Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adobe's $20 billion Figma buyout deal under UK competition watchdog scanner
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's competition watchdog said on Wednesday it was looking into Adobe Inc 's $20 billion buyout deal for cloud-based designer platform Figma to find if it could lead to "substantial lessening of competition" in the country. The move underlines regulators' worries that large tech firms acquiring smaller innovative rivals could throttle competition. UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last week blocked U.S. software giant Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard over concerns it would hinder cloud gaming. CMA said it has set June 30 as the deadline for its phase 1 decision on the the Adobe-Figma deal. Figma said it would "continue to engage constructively with regulators in the UK".

☆ Apple fights $2 bln London lawsuit for 'throttling' millions of iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) urged a London tribunal on Tuesday to block a $2 billion mass lawsuit accusing it of hiding defective batteries in millions of iPhones by "throttling" them with software updates. The tech giant is facing a lawsuit worth up to 1.6 billion pounds plus interest, brought by consumer champion Justin Gutmann on behalf of iPhone users in the United Kingdom. Gutmann's lawyers argued in court filings that Apple concealed issues with batteries in certain phone models and "surreptitiously" installed a power management tool which limited performance. Apple had also committed to be "clearer and more upfront" with iPhone users about battery health to Britain's competition watchdog in 2019, Moser said. The company denies misleading its customers about iPhone battery issues and points to a public apology it issued in 2017, offering cheaper battery replacements to affected customers.

☆ Explainer: What next for Microsoft's $69 billion Activision deal after UK ban?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday blocked Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of 'Call of Duty' maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) over concerns it would hinder cloud gaming. The regulator's decision reflected a flawed understanding of the market, it said. Microsoft can appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), an independent judicial body, which will only examine the CMA's decision-making process, not the merits of the merger. "The CAT aims to deal with 'straightforward' cases in under nine months – and Microsoft/Activision is anything but straightforward," Lane, said. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block the deal, which Microsoft has indicated it will fight.

☆ Explainer: What next for Microsoft's $69 bln Activision deal after UK ban?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The regulator's decision reflected a flawed understanding of the market, it said. Microsoft can appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), an independent judicial body, which will only examine the CMA's decision-making process, not the merits of the merger. "The CAT aims to deal with 'straightforward' cases in under nine months – and Microsoft/Activision is anything but straightforward," Lane, said. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block the deal, which Microsoft has indicated it will fight. The regulator then "identified certain potential errors" in its investigation chaired by Martin Coleman, who also oversaw the Microsoft-Activision case.

☆ FTC chair met UK antitrust officials last week but did not talk deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan met with the heads of other antitrust enforcers, including Britain's, last week but no mergers were discussed, according to an FTC official who spoke amid allegations the FTC and UK are working together to block Microsoft's bid for Activision. The FTC official, speaking on Thursday, was responding to comments made by the game-maker's CEO, Bobby Kotick, who told CNBC he believed that the U.S. agency had pushed Britain's CMA to stop the planned acquisition. Kotick said: "I was surprised to learn that Lina Khan and the head of the CMA had a meeting a week and a half ago in Washington. The FTC official, who was not authorized to speak on the record but who was present at the virtual meeting, said that officials had no discussions of any mergers being reviewed or other ongoing investigations. When a deal appears blatantly anticompetitive then independent antitrust regulators can simply make their own judgments," said spokesperson Douglas Farrar.

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