United Kingdom: Closed consultation on anticipated acquisition of Serato Audio Research Limited by AlphaTheta Corporation

On 12 July 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) closes the public consultation on the anticipated acquisition of Serato Audio Research Limited by AlphaTheta Corporation. The CMA's investigation aims to determine if this merger would result in a substantial lessening of competition (SLC) in the UK market. In particular, the CMA has several concerns regarding the potential impact of the merger, such as the horizontal unilateral effects, where the merged entity might dominate the DJ software market, thereby reducing competition. Furthermore, there is the potential foreclosure of DJ hardware rivals, where ATC could leverage its software market position to harm hardware competitors. Finally, there are non-horizontal effects, such as ATC accessing commercially sensitive information from competitors, reducing innovation and competition. The CMA will assess if the merger meets the criteria for a relevant merger situation under the Enterprise Act 2002. The CMA's final decision will address whether the merger is likely to reduce competition and what remedies might be necessary to mitigate any adverse effects.