Microsoft–Nokia Merger Control in East Asia

This article discusses the Microsoft–Nokia merger control case
to illustrate the varying approaches taken by the antitrust authorities of China, South Korea, and Taiwan to mitigate the anticompetitive effect potentially arising from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s business unit. Unlike regulators in the United States and the European Union, those in these Asian countries took into consideration the possible harm to their respective local industries from the acquisition and imposed restrictions on the respective abilities of Microsoft and Nokia to enforce their patents. The Microsoft–Nokia case demonstrates that different antitrust regimes exist among Asian countries as well as between regions of the globe.