Current:Home > ScamsFederal Trade Commission's request to pause Microsoft's $69 billion takeover of Activision during appeal denied by judge-LoTradeCoin
Federal Trade Commission's request to pause Microsoft's $69 billion takeover of Activision during appeal denied by judge
View Date:2024-12-24 11:22:08
A federal judge in Northern California has denied a request from the Federal Trade Commission to pause Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard while the FTC appeals the acquisition.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled Tuesday that Microsoft's pending takeover of the video game giant can move forward, against the FTC's wishes.
In court filings Wednesday, the FTC said it was appealing Corley's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. However, in an order issued Thursday, Corley denied the FTC's motion to put Microsoft's purchase of Activision, maker of the popular "Call of Duty" game series, on hold while that appeal moves forward.
Microsoft and Activision had previously indicated that a deadline of July 18 had been set to complete the acquisition.
The two companies first announced the deal back in January 2022. The FTC, which is responsible for enforcing antitrust laws, said in December it was suing to block the sale, saying at the time that such a deal would "enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business."
In her ruling Tuesday, Corley wrote that "the FTC has not raised serious questions regarding whether the proposed merger is likely to substantially lessen competition in the console, library subscription services, or cloud gaming markets."
The trial in the FTC's lawsuit, which is slated to take place in the FTC's own in-house court, is scheduled to start in August, according to The Associated Press. The FTC's request to Corley for an injunction was an effort to block the merger before that trial starts.
If the deal goes through, it would be the largest acquisition of a video game company in U.S. history.
— Irina Ivanova contributed to this report.
- In:
- Activision Blizzard
- Microsoft
veryGood! (83)
Related
- Solawave Black Friday Sale: Don't Miss Buy 1, Get 1 Free on Age-Defying Red Light Devices
- Why an ulcer drug could be the last option for many abortion patients
- Standing Rock’s Pipeline Fight Brought Hope, Then More Misery
- Montana man sentenced to 18 years for shooting intended to clean town of LGBTQ+ residents
- Alexandra Daddario Shares Candid Photo of Her Postpartum Body 6 Days After Giving Birth
- Arnold Schwarzenegger's Look-Alike Son Joseph Baena Breaks Down His Fitness Routine in Shirtless Workout
- Fossil Fuel Industries Pumped Millions Into Trump’s Inauguration, Filing Shows
- Australian airline rolls out communal lounge for long-haul flights
- Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
- Idaho dropped thousands from Medicaid early in the pandemic. Which state's next?
Ranking
- New Jersey will issue a drought warning after driest October ever and as wildfires rage
- The Impossibly Cute Pika’s Survival May Say Something About Our Own Future
- Michigan bans hairstyle discrimination in workplaces and schools
- George W. Bush's anti-HIV program is hailed as 'amazing' — and still crucial at 20
- Martha Stewart playfully pushes Drew Barrymore away in touchy interview
- New American Medical Association president says we have a health care system in crisis
- The 4 kidnapped Americans are part of a large wave of U.S. medical tourism in Mexico
- Save 30% On Spanx Shorts and Step up Your Spring Style With These Top-Sellers
Recommendation
-
US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
-
Girls in Texas could get birth control at federal clinics — until a dad sued
-
Suicide and homicide rates among young Americans increased sharply in last several years, CDC reports
-
S Club 7 Singer Paul Cattermole’s Cause of Death Revealed
-
Dramatic video shows Phoenix police rescue, pull man from car submerged in pool: Watch
-
These students raised hundreds of thousands to make their playground accessible
-
Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers leaker, dies at age 92 of pancreatic cancer, family says
-
Walgreens won't sell abortion pills in red states that threatened legal action