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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 11, 2023 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
David A Grosjean | CNBC
The Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday that it will appeal a federal judge’s decision to deny an application for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented Microsoft from finalizing its $68.7 billion acquisition of the game publisher Activision Blizzard.
The decision comes a day after Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, ruled in favor of the two companies.
CNBC reported earlier Wednesday that the FTC may take the judge’s decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
On Wednesday, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick told CNBC’s Julia Burstyn, “I’d be surprised if they’d waste taxpayer resources on something like that,” referring to the FTC’s appeal. Kotick said he didn’t think the appeals court would grant a stay.
The FTC declined to comment on its legal response to the judge’s decision. The agency is moving quickly, with Microsoft looking to close the acquisition by July 18th.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The software maker is also busy trying to get the deal approved in the UK. Microsoft CEO Brad Smith said the company and Activision Blizzard have agreed with the country’s competition and markets authority that stopping litigation would be beneficial.
He watches: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick: We’d be surprised if the FTC wasted taxpayer money on appeal
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