PlayStation accuses Microsoft of “harassment” in court

is struggling to secure Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. not just playing with government watchdogs and in publicbut also in courtrooms. And on one of those battlefields, Microsoft is making demands of its rival Sony, which the latter says constitute “clear harassment.”

By using Axios Newslettera number of court documents have been filed over the past couple of weeks detailing some of the legal skirmishes that are currently playing out between Microsoft, which wants to complete the blockbuster deal, and Sony, which is one of the many companies and organizations that absolutely don’t want to. to make it happen.

These specific documents relate to Sony’s attempts to fight the proposed sale, and that, as part of its defense, Microsoft has the right to:openingwhich basically just allows them to get a bunch of documents and emails from some Sony executives. Both companies have been haggling for ages over the number of executives that will be part of the company and the size of the opening, but earlier this month, that all changed when Microsoft blamed Sony for the first slipand then without providing all the information they might need:

Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”), whose gaming business has eclipsed the Xbox for 20 years, is no ordinary third party in this business. At great expense and over a long period, the SIE sent a delegation of executives, large teams of outside lawyers and highly paid economists to convince regulators here and around the world to block Microsoft Corp.

(“Microsoft”) offered to acquire Activision Blizzard King. SIE’s efforts are paying off: The FTC’s complaint about this action is littered with allegations of the deal’s impact on SIE’s business. This case applies to both SIE and Xbox and Activision. Therefore, timely detection from SIE is critical to protecting Microsoft.

While SIE’s motion for an extension complains about the breadth of the subpoena and the length of extensions already granted to respond to that subpoena, Microsoft has already told SIE that it will agree to a fourth extension of the time to negotiate on issues related to the scope of the subpoena’s requirements. But Microsoft believes that court intervention is now required on one issue: whether SIE will collect and release documents from certain custodians.

In response, Sony stated that they did not provide all the information that Microsoft requested because they were requested. way too much, including things like access to internal performance reviews, which Sony says “is clear harassment” and that “even in labor courts, specific proof of relevance is required before requiring personal files.”

I know this is only slightly interesting, but I’m talking about this mainly so we can just refer to both. Microsoft And Sony motions that are full of some incredible self-statements such as Microsoft saying that the success of the PlayStation has “eclipsed the Xbox for 20 years”, along with some very funny words in Sony’s documentation, such as how they say Microsoft’s subpoena was , like, “really massive.” “.

Update 5:22 am ET, Feb. 10.: Removed reference to “PROPOSAL TO LIMIT OR CANCEL THE AGENDA” as the matter is still under consideration.