Judge Grants FTC Request for TRO Blocking Microsoft’s Activision Buy

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila for Northern California in San Francisco granted the FTC’s motion for a temporary restraining order enjoining Microsoft from consummating its Activision Blizzard buy (see 2306130033), said his signed order Tuesday (docket 3:23-cv-02880) on behalf of U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who was assigned the case. The TRO is necessary “to maintain the status quo” while the FTC’s complaint against Microsoft and Activision is pending, said the order. It also preserves the court’s ability “to order effective relief in the event it determines a preliminary injunction is warranted,” it said. The TRO will preserve the FTC’s ability “to obtain an effective permanent remedy in the event that it prevails in its pending administrative proceeding,” it said. Microsoft and Activision are enjoined from completing their proposed transaction until after 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on the fifth business day after the court rules on the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction, it said. The order sets a June 22-23 evidentiary hearing on the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction before Corley. Microsoft and Activision will submit their brief in opposition to the motion for preliminary injunction by the close of business Friday, and the FTC’s reply is due June 20 by noon PDT, it said.