Activision Buyout in the UK prevents Microsoft from trying again for 10 years

Microsoft’s efforts to acquire Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard are starting to look pretty dire, but the appeals process is currently underway, we’re told. However, if you don’t succeed, Microsoft will apparently need to wait a full decade before you can try again.

I finish Reset, the whole story is chronicled in an official 900+ page thread, with the OP (Idas) putting their skills as a European antitrust lawyer to brilliant use. Now, we’re not lawyers (we’d rather work in our pajamas), but we can confirm that on page 339, under Section 11.29 of the final reportyou read:

“The prohibition would be affected by the acceptance of undertakings under Section 82 of the Act or the issuance of an order under Section 84 of the Act, prohibiting the merger and preventing the parties from attempting to merge for a further term: our standard practice is to prevent a future merger between the parties within the next ten years in the absence of a change of circumstances.”

We won’t pretend to understand the nuances or the full context here, but this seems pretty obvious to the average person’s eyes. Remember, Microsoft recently said that ten years was plenty of time for Sony Create your own Call of Duty competitor; We imagine he could do the same thing in a similar amount of time.

Do you think this deal is really dead, or does this story have a twist or two? Let us know in the comments section below.