The FTC seeks a temporary restraining order and an injunction to stop the tech giant and maker of the Xbox game system from acquiring the developer behind popular games including “Call of Duty,” adding an additional hurdle to Microsoft’s push to take over the company for $69 billion.
“Both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction are necessary because Microsoft and Activision have represented that they may consummate the proposed acquisition at any time,” the FTC said in a complaint.
“We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chairman and president, in a statement.
“We believe accelerating the legal process in the U.S. will ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market,” Smith added.
The FTC last year sought to block the merger in a case brought to the agency’s in-house judge. A trial is set to begin Aug. 2 on that decision.
The agency’s complaint asks the court to put the order in place to block the deal from closing by Thursday.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
