Microsoft moves closer to completing $69 billion Activision takeover after court rebuffs regulators
A U.S. appeals court has rejected a bid by federal regulators to block Microsoft from closing its $68.7 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected a bid by federal regulators to block Microsoft from closing its $68.7 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, paving the way for the completion of the biggest acquisition in tech history after a legal battle over whether it will undermine competition. In a brief ruling, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded there were no grounds for issuing an order that would have prevented Microsoft from completing its nearly 18-month-old deal to take over the maker of popular video games such as Call of Duty. The Redmond, Washington, software maker is facing a potential $3 billion termination fee if the deal isn't completed by Tuesday. “This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews,” Microsoft P...