In a surprising move, the Canadian Competition Bureau (CCB) penned a letter to Judge Jacqueline Corley yesterday, expressing its concerns about the Microsoft-Activision deal and asking Microsoft to correct “inaccuracies” in its statements. Judge Corley has been hearing U.S. regulator Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) case against the merger.
Canada thinks Microsoft-Activision deal will lessen competition
As reported by The Verge, CCB took issue with Microsoft claiming in court that “every single worldwide regulator” has rejected FTC’s theories of harm, with the only exception being the U.K. However, CCB said that it told Microsoft in early May that the deal will lessen competition in the console and gaming subscription space, and that it will continue to “monitor” the transaction. It then asked Microsoft to communicate this to Judge Corley.
Microsoft did not respond directly to CCB’s statement, choosing instead to point out that the regulator had a window of opportunity to prevent the merger, but allowed that deadline to elapse. As a result, Microsoft and Activision can close the merger in Canada. However, the CCB can take action against anything it deems anti-competitive post merger.
It’s not known how Judge Corley responded to the letter, or if she responded at all.
