Microsoft decided to soften its position against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC extensionUS Antitrust) Retract the charge of unconstitutionality which it had previously filed against the concerned entity, in the moments immediately following the decision of the Committee to refer the company to court to preventActivision Blizzard acquisition.
In an official statement, Microsoft spokesperson David Cuddy clarified that the previous statement was false and acknowledged that the accusation of unconstitutionality was unfounded, acknowledging instead the importance of the FTC in protecting competition and consumers.
The Federal Trade Commission has an important job Competition and consumer protection We have updated our response by deleting certain statements that lead to allegations regarding its function under the Constitution. We have initially evaluated all potential topics on the table internally and will have to give up some positions before going to court. We value the feedback we have received regarding our defenses and are engaging directly with those who express concerns to clarify our position.”
This seems to be a significant drop in aggressiveness from Microsoft, obviously creating a More relaxed atmosphere Ahead of the legal battle that just started with this week’s preliminary hearing.
Microsoft previously said, in response to the FTC’s accusation, that “the commission’s process violates Microsoft’s rights to pursue a Fifth Amendment transaction,” and goes further, designating “the structure of these administrative actions” as a violation of that amendment and of the United States. constitution. Apparently, these attitudes were judged to be a bit excessive by Microsoft itself in the following days, removing the most extreme drifts.
Meanwhile, the British Capital Markets Authority has postponed its assessment of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, with a response that may arrive on April 26, 2023. According to many analysts, the acquisition should proceed, even if Microsoft is likely to commit to some further concessions.
