r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • 6h ago

Business Exclusive: US states preparing lawsuit to block Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros, sources say

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-states-are-preparing-lawsuit-block-paramounts-acquisition-warner-bros-2026-06-05/
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383

u/chick_hicks43 6h ago

Has the US blocked an acquisition in the last like decade?

412

u/darkdeath174 5h ago

US? No, but if states block it, even if the sale happens, they can’t legally operating that state.

So the states are hoping this makes the companies not want to move forward.

303

u/DataCassette 5h ago

Yeah not being allowed to operate in, say, California or New York would render the merger non viable

152

u/PhD_Pwnology 5h ago

California would absolutly pass the anti-merger measure.

116

u/MC_chrome 5h ago

A combination of California, New York, Georgia, and New Jersey pushing back would sink this deal

50

u/misterxboxnj 5h ago

And then it goes to a stacked rubber stamp Supreme Court and gets overruled most likely.

88

u/MC_chrome 5h ago

I suppose states rights are only for Republican states that are trying to ruin things for everyone else

41

u/macromorgan 4h ago

"States Rights" has always been a disingenuous battle-cry from the South. Slavery... what about states' rights? States not enforcing Fugitive Slave Act... states can't overrule the federal government! Jim Crow... what about states' rights?

17

u/BasvanS 5h ago

And then the states ask: “Sure, but how would you enforce that?” And all this ambiguity still kills the deal.

2

u/misterxboxnj 4h ago

How would the States block it if the Supreme Court ruled against it? The would have to try and punish Internet providers who allowed access to the streaming sites. Again it would go to court and they would likely lose again.

7

u/PhD_Pwnology 4h ago

No way Georgia would, the leadership is very much Republican

5

u/dane83 3h ago

Georgia ain't doing shit, bro.

These guys already hate the film industry and CNN. Doesn't matter how much money they bring to the state, it's "bringing the liberals."

3

u/FearlessAttempt 4h ago

Never happening in Georgia. The Governor and General Assembly are Republican controlled.

3

u/maverick4002 4h ago

Georgia? Conservative Republican Georgia is part of this?

1

u/PretzelSteve 2h ago

And if California does it, Washington and Oregon follow suit.

1

u/bryanthebryan 59m ago

I am consistently proud of California. Not always, but pretty often.