Johnny Awesome
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I think the CMA will back down. The UK won't be the only hold-out IMO.
Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King for $69 Billion on 2023-10-13
- Thread starter Rangers
- Start date
Well, tomorrow is supposedly the deadline for requesting an appeal through CAT (an extension can be granted though). Seeing Meta buckle under CMA's recent ruling, I don't see Microsoft winning a reversal of approval from the CMA, even if CAT finds certain errors with CMA's process.
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Deleted member 11852
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You expect more more regulators to oppose the acquisition then?
I dont see why anyone would have wanted to acquire Giphy to begin with. The difference is huge between the two as to the benefits.
You can have game pass with xcloud and native windows pc gaming. You don't need to keep doing huge amounts of r&D and loose money on each console sold to do that
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MOOOOOAR POPCORN!!!
Something like to 7-9 months to hear appeals. In the meantime, Microsoft and Activision will have to renegotiate their terms soon (which favors Activision mostly), and reapprove it with shareholders. Between the CMA, CAT, and FTC, don't expect anything this year.
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Having managed appeals in other UK regulatory processes, the first step will be to validate that any appeal lodged is valid. A lot of appeals to negative regulatory decisions are "we didn't like the answer, please change it". I would like to think that Microsoft have more substance in theirs but they have approached this whole process like a PR popularity war so..........
The CMA's calculations have been shown to be flawed and so that is one way for MS/ ABK to move forward
WIth the 7-9 months this pushes it past the FTC stuff which I would assume means if MS wins against the FTC then the CTA/CMA will end up approving it. Regardless of anyones feelings on what MS would or wouldn't do if the CMA says no in the apeal I think we can all agree no one wants to be the only one saying no to one of the biggest companies in the world. If the ftc wins its a lot easier for the UK to have a united front with them
The hurdle to overcome with CAT isn't simply a miscalculation in data, it's getting over the bar that the CMA willfully, purposely, and attentionally did not follow the guidelines and laws during the process. Miscalculation or misinterpretation of statistical data isn't going to cut it, only a strong front that the CMA had purposely setout to do harm to the merger and/or acquisition. And good luck with proving the latter!
They will likely point to the meeting with the FTC and that the CMA had purposely used numbers from competitors to stop the merger. I am sure that during the case against the FTC they are going to get to any emails shared between the parties.
MS wouldn't continue going forward if they didn't think there was a path to a conclusion they wanted.
These regulatory groups are supposed to have meetings! This is the process in a World Trade system! Regulatory trade and consumer agencies, especially ones from Western countries, all share data on hundreds/thousands of international corporations. That's by design: to gather needed information for determining international 'governance' (i.e., guidance, processes, laws, etc.) when it comes to international conglomerates.
Anyhow, whatever conspiracy emails and/or talks that happen between the FTC and CMA, will simply be written off as 'working product' by authorities, whom are mostly skilled in local and international laws anyhow. If I was Microsoft, I wouldn't want to go down that clown path over a game company.
It all depends on what was discussed. MS has rights as a company and if the FTC and CMA violated them , then ms should have their due process.These regulatory groups are supposed to have meetings! This is the process in a World Trade system! Regulatory trade and consumer agencies, especially ones from Western countries, all share data on hundreds/thousands of international corporations. That's by design: to gather needed information for determining international 'governance' (i.e., guidance, processes, laws, etc.) of international conglomerates.
Anyhow, whatever conspiracy emails and/or talks that happen between the FTC and CMA, will simply be written off as 'working product' by authorities, whom are mostly skilled in local and international laws anyhow. If I was Microsoft, I wouldn't want to go down that clown path over a game company.
Regardless we just continue to wait to see what happens
Rights to what? The circle-jerk of disinformation, conspiracies, shilling, and bad faith arguments that's going around by invested interest and fanboys that somehow the FTC, CMA, Sony and whomever else, are all working together on trying to tank Microsoft's / Activision deal? Good luck with that as well!
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Well in the united states Microsoft is considered a person and would have the same rights as a person. Dunno about a backwater place like the UK however
It is, but this is expected. Remember how Microsoft, Google, Qualcomm, and a few others were asking the FTC and other foreign regulators to block the Nvidia and Arm acquisition, as it would stifle competition and create a monopoly? Now that it is the other way around, the FTC and CMA are monsters and can't be trusted. All companies do this gaslighting bit, it's the corporate loving fanboys and shills who can't see beyond their noses on how these matters work. Regardless of the CAT appeal outcome, it still boils down to CMA's finial decision. So...
EVP Vestager keynote speech at the International Forum of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht:
Good morning, Thank you to the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht for bringing this event to Brussels. You asked me to open today's event with remarks on “current issues in European competition policy”.
ec.europa.eu
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