CompaniesActivision Blizzard IncFollowMicrosoft CorpFollowUbisoft Entertainment SAFollowBRUSSELS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are asking Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) rivals and customers whether they are affected by the U.S. tech giant’s proposals to gain UK approval for its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), sources close to the matter said.Microsoft last month offered to sell its cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment (UBIP.PA) after Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the biggest gaming deal in history.The European Commission had cleared the deal in May after Microsoft agreed to license popular Activision games such as “Call of Duty” to rival game-streaming platforms.That clearance was given before Microsoft proposed the Ubisoft deal to appease the UK regulator.However, the EU antitrust watchdog has since emailed companies to ask for feedback, the sources told Reuters. The sources said it has not launched a formal investigation, suggesting it may be waiting for a CMA decision before making any move.It was not clear which companies were asked for their comments. Companies typically prefer not to disclose dealings with the Commission because of the sensitive nature of its investigations.An EU investigation looks unlikely, other sources said, citing the structuring of Microsoft’s CMA proposal to ensure compliance with its EU remedies.The Commission declined to comment on the email, reiterating that it was following developments in the UK closely and assessing any potential impact on its own case.Reporting by Foo Yun Chee
Editing by Jason Neely and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tabFoo Yun CheeThomson ReutersAn agenda-setting and market-moving journalist, Foo Yun Chee is a 20-year veteran at Reuters. Her stories on high profile mergers have pushed up the European telecoms index, lifted companies’ shares and helped investors decide on their move. Her knowledge and experience of European antitrust laws and developments helped her broke stories on Microsoft, Google, Amazon, numerous market-moving mergers and antitrust investigations. She has previously reported on Greek politics and companies, when Greece’s entry into the eurozone meant it punched above its weight on the international stage, as well as Dutch corporate giants and the quirks of Dutch society and culture that never fail to charm readers.
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