Microsoft settles video gamers' lawsuit over $69 billion Activision deal
By Mike Scarcella
Oct 15 (Reuters) -Video gamers who sued over Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard have settled their lawsuit claiming the blockbuster deal would harm industry competition and drive up prices.
The gamers said in a joint filing with Microsoft in San Francisco federal court late on Monday that they were dismissing their lawsuit with prejudice, meaning they cannot refile it.
The court filing did not reveal how the lawsuit was resolved, and the plaintiffs’ attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Microsoft in a statement said the two sides settled the case but declined to provide more details.
The lawsuit alleged Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision violated U.S. antitrust law and should be barred. The private civil case was lodged in late 2022 before the Federal Trade Commission sued unsuccessfully to stop the deal, the biggest acquisition in the history of the gaming industry.
Microsoft has denied any wrongdoing and defended the acquisition, which closed in October 2023, as beneficial to gamers.
Federal antitrust law allows consumers to sue to stop corporate transactions apart from any government lawsuits.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley previously dismissed the gamers’ lawsuit but allowed them to refile a revised version.
The FTC appealed the dismissal of its case to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard arguments in December.
The FTC has said it will also challenge the deal in an administrative case at the agency after the appeals court issues its decision.
The case is Dante DeMartini et al v. Microsoft, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:22-cv-08991-JSC.
For plaintiffs: Joseph Alioto of Alioto Law Firm, and Joseph Saveri of Joseph Saveri Law Firm
For defendant: Valarie Williams and B. Parker Miller of Alston & Bird, and Beth Wilkinson and Rakesh Kilaru of Wilkinson Stekloff
Read more:
'Call of Duty' gamers sue Activision for monopolizing leagues, tournaments
Microsoft’s Nadella can be questioned in gamers’ Activision deal lawsuit
US FTC tries again to stop Microsoft's already-closed deal for Activision
U.S. antitrust enforcer says pressing on with fight against Microsoft/Activision deal
Reporting by Mike Scarcella
免责声明: XM Group仅提供在线交易平台的执行服务和访问权限，并允许个人查看和/或使用网站或网站所提供的内容，但无意进行任何更改或扩展，也不会更改或扩展其服务和访问权限。所有访问和使用权限，将受下列条款与条例约束：(i) 条款与条例；(ii) 风险提示；以及(iii) 完整免责声明。请注意，网站所提供的所有讯息，仅限一般资讯用途。此外，XM所有在线交易平台的内容并不构成，也不能被用于任何未经授权的金融市场交易邀约和/或邀请。金融市场交易对于您的投资资本含有重大风险。
所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。
本网站上由XM和第三方供应商所提供的所有内容，包括意见、新闻、研究、分析、价格、其他资讯和第三方网站链接，皆保持不变，并作为一般市场评论所提供，而非投资性建议。所有在线交易平台所发布的资料，仅适用于教育/资讯类用途，不包含也不应被视为适用于金融、投资税或交易相关咨询和建议，或是交易价格纪录，或是任何金融商品或非应邀途径的金融相关优惠的交易邀约或邀请。请确保您已阅读并完全理解，XM非独立投资研究提示和风险提示相关资讯，更多详情请点击 这里。
