The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is not giving up following yesterday's defeat in a federal court of its demand of a preliminary injunction to hinder Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The regulator's counsel has filed a notice that it is appealing with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals against the decision by Judge Jaqueline Scott Corley, who denied the injunction and rejected the FTC's reasoning on the case.
At the moment, wedon't know what the arguments behind the appeal will be, but the FTC is hoping to hinder the acquisition once again before the Temporary Restricting Order it initially obtained expires on Friday at Midnight.
If you're interested in reading more about the hearings that led to Judge Corley's ruling, you can read our summaries of the first day, second day, third day, and fourth day (including Bobby Kotick and Satya Nadella's testimonies).
We'll have to wait and see whether the 9th Circuit Court will find any weaknesses in Judge Corley's decision.
On the other side of the ocean, Microsoft and the CMA are pausing their litigation to negotiate an amicable end to the British regulator's opposition to the deal. Elsewhere, most regulators have ruled in favor of the acquisition, including the recent decisions by the European Union, China, South Korea, and South Africa, with a total of 39 countries clearing the acquisition. New Zealand expressed doubts about the deal and Canada expressed its disapproval with a letter, but neither has formally moved to block the acquisition yet.
