The Adobe-Figma acquisition probably shouldn’t have gone through; that the right outcome was achieved for arguably the wrong reasons, though, is concerning for the long run of tech innovation.
Google Loses Antitrust Case to Epic; The Differences Between Apple and Google, Revisited; The Tying Question
Epic won its antitrust case against Google, which shouldn’t be a surprise to Stratechery readers: the situation is very different than Apple. What matters most in the decision, though, is tying.
An Interview with Bill Bishop and Andrew Sharp Checking In on China
An interview with Bill Bishop and Andrew Sharp about one year of Sharp China, the chip ban, AI in China, TikTok, and the Biden-Xi visit in San Francisco.
Google’s Apple Payments; Apple Services: Narrative vs. Reality; Google’s Motivation
The juiciest detail yet came out of the Google antitrust case: how much the company pays Apple. This isn’t just a function of Apple’s leverage, but also Google’s strategic foresight.
Attenuating Innovation (AI)
Innovation required humility about the future and openness to what might be possible; Biden’s executive order proscribing AI development is the opposite, blocking progress and hindering the solutions to our greatest challenges.
An Interview with Gregory Allen About the Updated China Chip Ban
An interview with Gregory Allen about the updated China chip ban and how Washington’s thinking has evolved over the last year, both because of China’s response and because of AI.
FTC Sues Amazon
The FTC is suing Amazon, and some of the complaints are compelling, but ultimately not convincing.
Microsoft, Activision, and Ubisoft(?!); The Activision Deal; Foolhardy Forecasting
Microsoft has substantially reworked its deal with Activision to satisfy U.K. regulators; it’s a win for the CMA, and time to consider what comes next.
Microsoft-Activision Updates; Reader Follow-Up; Free Speech, the Government, and Scale
An update on Microsoft-Activision, and then a response to a reader upset at my take, weaved in with commentary about free speech in the context of last week’s ruling about social media moderation.
Microsoft Can Acquire Activision, The FTC vs. the Record, The FTC’s Failed Vendetta
Microsoft didn’t just win its case against the FTC: the totality of its victory calls into question the FTC’s legitimacy, and may lead to more acquisitions in the future.