UK Restricts Microsoft, Activision From Buying Interest in Each Other (reuters.com) 19
Britain's competition regulator has published an interim order restricting Microsoft and Activision from acquiring an interest in each other without its consent, weeks after it blocked their $69 billion merger.
Comment removed (Score:3)
Good. (Score:2)
How? (Score:2)
I'm still at a loss as to how the UK can block a M$ merger.
Aren't M$ and Activision US companies?
Re: (Score:2)
As others have pointed out before they are US companies but they do lots of business in the UK. Hence there is the option for huge fines should Msft/ActiBliz go against this ruling. Of course the companies could decide to not do any business in the UK but that would also come at a huge cost. So, for the time being they will comply with the ruling while working to get the deal approved.
Re:How? (Score:5, Informative)
It's not about doing business in the UK. An US based international company can do business in the UK without needing any approval from regulators. But they aren't a US based international company. The are a multi-national corporation, and as such they are a fully registered company in multiple countries very much at the whim of the regulators and governments of all those countries.
You don't get to play the game and only have benefits without the downsides. Lawyers will no doubt have informed Billy what it meant when he registered Microsoft Ltd as a UK business in 1982.
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Basically this is revenge, Activision called the UK "closed for business" (which actually is probably true - ARM won't come back to trade on the LSE due to regulation, EU trade now has barriers etc etc), but stupidly making this childish/petulant public statement hours after initial ruling is just going to piss people off. For what it's wor
Re: (Score:2)
Aren't M$ and Activision US companies?
No. Microsoft Ltd is a British company registered with number 01624297 at Company House in the UK. Their head office is in Thames Valley Park, in Redding.
Likewise Activision Blizzard UK Ltd is a British company registered with number 01709830 at Company House in the UK. Their head office is in Wardour Street, London.
If you want to incorporate as a multi-national company (something very distinct from an "international" company, then they need to accept the bad with the good. The benefits are numerous, but th
Well bye, UK... (Score:2)
Damn, they really forgot they aren't a big empire anymore. There's only a few million people on that island. Not enough to make a dent compared to the rest of the world.
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https://www.worldometers.info/... [worldometers.info]
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Oooh wooooowwwww, 0.8% of the worlds population. That's like a margin of error.
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Oooh wooooowwwww, 0.8% of the worlds population. That's like a margin of error.
If you spoke like that to your shareholders you'd find yourself kicked out of the window without your golden parachute and replaced by someone who understands what it means to have 70million largely wealthy western customers.
By all means I'm keen to hear how you would approach this conversation. Common, draft us a letter of how KlomDark would tell shareholders that he will forgo nearly $5bn USD in yearly revenue from the UK all so he can buy a company who makes less than $750m globally.
I will grade you on h
Re: (Score:2)
Easy, I'd preface the conversation with the expected sales/profit of everyplace else if the merger goes through. Would you like to make $500 billion minus $5 billion, or suck up to a shithole country and not make anything? Duh.
jurisdiction? (Score:2)
Are either MS or Activision based in the UK? Seems they could ignore it.
Cocky (Score:2)
Britian is getting a little too cocky after leaving the EU. They, by themselves, are not important. Not as a country, not as a market. Nor do they speak for the rest of the EU so, unless the EU backs this, it's kind of meaningless. I swear the entirety of the British govt lost 90% of their IQ as soon as they agreed to leave.
What if? (Score:1)
Re: What if? (Score:1)
It's not like you pay a fine and continue doing what's forbidden. Fines add up and more consequences come into play.