Microsoft hopes for quick resolutions in other jurisdictions after FTC defeat

Now that Microsoft can buy Activision Blizzard after the FTC lost its bid for an injunction, the company is aiming to get the deal approved by the UK regulator.

In April, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the acquisition, to which Microsoft quickly appealed, saying it would explore other options to acquire Activision Blizzard. The CMA also tried to delay Microsoft’s appeal, an effort blocked by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

microsoft president Brad Smith took to Twitter to state the following regarding the federal judge’s decision in favor of the company: “We are grateful to the San Francisco Court for this swift and thorough decision and look forward to other jurisdictions continuing to work toward a timely resolution. As we have consistently demonstrated throughout Throughout this process, we are committed to working creatively and collaboratively to address regulatory concerns.

“Following today’s US court decision, our focus now turns to the UK. While we ultimately disagree with the CMA’s concerns, we are considering how the transaction might be modified to address those concerns. in a way that is acceptable to the CAM”.

After the FTC’s loss in blocking the acquisition, it appears the CMA and Microsoft have agreed to negotiate the Activision Blizzard deal in the UK with litigation now on hold.

“Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that a stay of litigation in the UK would be in the public interest and the parties have made a joint submission to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) to that effect.” Smith said.

In May, the European Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard after it made a 10-year commitment to its cloud services and to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and bring it to Nintendo systems.

The agency found that Microsoft would not have the incentive to retain games from competing consoles in Europe, especially since PlayStation is the best-selling console in Europe and Call of Duty is not as popular in the region compared to the US market.