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I got a subscription to Equity Report.

They have 4 reports about the case in the last two months with interesting new info. I share now a summary of the most recent one and later in the day the other three.

CMA Likely to Publish Provisional Findings on Microsoft/Activision Blizzard Merger by Next Week | Equity Report

- Provisional findings (PF) from he CMA coming next week.

- The sources (two lawyers linked to the parties or third parties) say that MS is waiting the PF before offering remedies.

- The CMA is very hard to read at the moment and MS will probably learn about what's happening at the same time as everybody else.

- The outcome of the PF could depend on wether they include the ecosystem theory of harm or not.

- If the CMA blocks the deal, they'll need to back up its claims with substantive evidence from third parties to defend its position in a possible appeal.

- A third source, another lawyer linked to the case, believes that the deal shouldn't be opposed but that aligning remedies between the CMA and the EC will be a challenge because the CMA has a more formal approach and the EU process is more interactive.

- The same lawyer believes that the regulators' position about the case is a combination of the vocal opposition from a competitor (Sony) and some overreaction over the last ten years where vertical mergers have been constantly approved. "It's odd that it even got this far", he/she says.

- Sony may have been rejecting the offers from MS hoping to secure better licensing terms through a formal remedy agreement.

Source: Idas