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US: Talks fail: AT&T, DOJ to duke it out in court

By  |  December 17, 2017

AT&T and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have been unable to resolve antitrust concerns over the pending Time Warner acquisition outside of court, according to a document filed on Friday, December 15.

The two sides have been engaging in settlement talks, but “despite their efforts, have not been able to settle the matter.” The disclosure document laid out a schedule leading up to the planned March 19 trial.

The DOJ is suing to block the merger, arguing that the combination of the nation’s largest television distributor and one of Hollywood’s leading studios would be bad for consumers and competition.

AT&T is fighting to preserve its US$85 billion deal, arguing that the DOJ’s position on the deal “stretches the very reach of antitrust law beyond the breaking point” and upends 50 years of precedent.

Full Content: Deadline

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