UK Further Restricts Microsoft and Activision Blizzard From Merging, While the EU May Approve Merger

mmorpg.com:

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard both hired high profile UK lawyers, the regulatory body that blocked the merger between the companies has added additional restrictions on both companies while the coming appeal process plays out.

 As spotted by GamesIndustry.biz, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) filed an interim order “for the purpose of preventing pre-emptive action” and prohibits both companies from acquiring an interest in the other. 

With the decision to block Microsoft’s nearly $70 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard in the UK is likely to be appealed, this decision is intended to prevent the companies from working to subvert the block and strike some kind of new deal. If either company wishes to take any of the following actions with the other company, they would need to seek and get specific permission from the regulator.

These restrictions apply to:

"(a) acquire an Interest in [the other company] or any of its Subsidiaries;

(b) acquire an Interest in an Enterprise holding an Interest in [the other company] or

carrying on the business of [the other company] from time to time; or

© hold an option to acquire an Interest [in the other company]."

The same restrictions were placed on both companies in order to put them in a holding pattern and prevent them from working around the UK's restrictions. 

With the deal on hold in the UK, there is some speculation that the EU might come through with an approval from its own regulators. This comes according to a report from Reuters, saying that the EU is headed towards approving  the merger as early as Monday.

The UK process is headed for an appeal, and the future of the merger there is in doubt. Since the UK CMA rejected the deal over concerns over