Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Hits a Roadblock: Temporary Restrictions Imposed

A US federal court issued a temporary restraining order yesterday for Microsoft‘s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as reported by The Verge. The move comes just days after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a request for a restraining order and preliminary injunction against the acquisition of Activision, valued at a total of $68.7 billion.

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Finally, the court has granted the requested restraining order by the US agency, temporarily preventing Microsoft from proceeding with the acquisition in any way. If the preliminary injunction is also approved, the FTC will have the opportunity to present its legal arguments before the acquisition is completed.

As a result, Activision and Microsoft will not be able to finalize any agreements until “after 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the fifth business day after the Court rules on the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction” or a date set by the court, whichever is later.

As we mentioned earlier, Microsoft views these measures by the US justice system positively. “Expediting the legal process in the US will ultimately bring more choices and competition to the gaming market,” said David Cuddy, a spokesperson for Microsoft, in a statement to The Verge. “A temporary restraining order makes sense until we can receive a decision from the Court, which is moving swiftly.”

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Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was announced in early last year. In these months, the regulatory body in the United Kingdom blocked the purchase (Microsoft has already appealed to the courts), while on the other hand, the European Union gave its approval.

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