Microsoft, one of the biggest tech companies in the world, has sought relief from the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) against the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) decision to block its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2022, according to the application reviewed by MediaNama. The company founded by Bill Gates asked the CAT to quash the CMA’s decision in its entirety and direct the authority to pay the cost of its litigation. It must be noted that the European Union approved the acquisition in May this year. Microsoft signed a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, the developer behind games like Call of Duty and Candy Crush, for $68.7 billion in January 2022. The decision to block the acquisition was taken following concerns that the deal alters the “future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market”. Why it matters: It is important to note how Microsoft is looking to challenge the CMA’s decision because it was a huge setback for Microsoft and Activision. It is said to be the biggest deal in the gaming industry which means there is a lot riding on it. There are a lot of hurdles for Microsoft to cross as even the US has come out against the deal but relief in the UK can augur well for the company. What are the five grounds Microsoft laid down in its challenge? The company has laid down five grounds in its appeal seeking relief. They are as follows: Litany of fundamental errors: Microsoft has argued that the CMA made…
