Japan: Closed JFTC investigation into Figma acquisition by Adobe

On 19 December 2023, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) concluded its investigation into the acquisition of Figma, a web application for interface design, by Adobe. The investigation was closed as a consequence of Adobe's withdrawal of its declaration of intent to acquire Figma. The Fair Trade Commission, collaborating with global competition authorities, has assessed the potential competitive impacts of the Adobe-Figma merger, focusing on concerns about disrupting innovation competition in design software and anti-competitive effects on Figma's entry into the design creation software market. In response, Adobe and Figma mutually agreed to cancel the acquisition contract, leading to the withdrawal of the merger declaration.