"US FTC Plans Injunction Request to Block MS's Blizzard Acquisition"

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plans to file for a preliminary injunction in federal court to block Microsoft's (MS) acquisition of Activision Blizzard, according to sources cited by economic media outlets CNBC and CNN on the 12th (local time).

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to reports, the FTC is filing this injunction to seek a temporary restraining order preventing MS from proceeding with the Blizzard acquisition before the administrative lawsuit. Earlier, the FTC filed a lawsuit against MS and is scheduled to hold a hearing at the administrative court in August.

Earlier, MS announced in early last year that it would acquire Activision Blizzard for about $69 billion. This is the largest deal in the tech sector and is expected to become the "deal of the century" if completed. Activision Blizzard is a developer that owns popular games such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft. MS originally planned to complete the acquisition before the 18th of next month.

On the same day, MS Vice Chairman Brad Smith stated in a press release, "We welcome the opportunity to litigate in federal court," adding, "Accelerating legal procedures in the U.S. will ultimately bring more choices and competition to the market."

For MS to complete the acquisition, it must obtain approval from regulatory authorities in the UK, the U.S., and the European Union (EU). Last month, the EU Commission approved MS's acquisition of Blizzard, while the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a decision opposing it. MS promptly appealed to the court.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.