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In a significant victory over the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Microsoft Corporation secured a court ruling allowing it to proceed with the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The decision could catapult Microsoft to the world's third-largest video game publisher, fueling the expansion of its high-profile franchises like "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft."
As per CNN Business, the U.S. District Court handed down the latest ruling not to grant the injunction for the Northern District of California. The decision paves the way for Microsoft to complete its deal with Activision Blizzard.
Once merged, Microsoft is set to become the third-largest video game publisher in the world. It will be able to offer more control over its popular video game franchises, including "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft."
In her decision, District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley stated in the 53-page documents that the U.S. government "has not shown it is likely to succeed on its assertion the combined firm will probably pull Call of Duty from Sony PlayStation, or that its ownership of Activision content will substantially lessen competition in the video game library subscription and cloud gaming markets."
This means that Microsoft has more chances of finalizing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which could happen in just a matter of days. It was reported that there is a contractual deadline of July 18, but the parties involved may jointly seek an extension of the timeframe.
The judge added that the licensing agreements which the tech company signed showed that the public scrutiny of the deal paid off as it offered those licensing deals to other companies. In the deals, Microsoft agreed to allow others to use game titles on their own platforms.
"We are grateful to the Court in San Francisco for this quick and thorough decision and hope other jurisdictions will continue working towards a timely resolution," Microsoft's vice chairman and president, Brad Smith, said in a statement this week. "As we've demonstrated consistently throughout this process, we are committed to working creatively and collaboratively to address regulatory concerns."
Meanwhile, CNBC reported that while the judge may be allowing Microsoft and Acitivision's deal to continue, the deal is not totally clear. This is because the FTC can still file an appeal to the federal appellate court, so the companies must still look for ways for their merger to go on without issues.
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