The Court of Appeal approves the acquisition of Time Warner by AT and T



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(Newser)

A federal court of appeal has authorized the purchase of Time Warner by AT & T, thus rejecting a challenge from the Trump administration, according to the AP. The decision of the US Court of Appeals in Washington came on Tuesday in the high stakes case, approving one of the biggest marriages with the media. The court agreed with a trial judge ruling last year that the merger would not harm competition, the newspaper reported. the Wall Street newspaper. The US antitrust prosecution against Dallas-based AT & T was the first time in decades that the government challenged this doctrine by attempting to block a "vertical merger," meaning two companies did not compete directly with one another. the Newspaper This is the biggest single generation loss for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.

US District Judge Richard Leon was right in rejecting the government's argument that the merger would hurt competition, limit choices and drive up consumer prices for television and movies, ruled the judges d & # 39; call. The case could affect the future course of antitrust regulations. Leon's decision has already paved the way for negotiations in the rapidly changing worlds of show production and distribution. Just one day after its decision, Comcast returned in a bidding war with Disney for most 21st Century Fox television and movie companies. Disney finally won and Comcast instead bought the British chain Sky. Sprint and T-Mobile wireless carriers are also trying to combine; the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission are still reviewing this agreement.

(Read more AT & T stories.)

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