Oracle's hostile bid for PeopleSoft is currently under review by Canadian antitrust regulators, adding yet another antitrust hurdle for the database-software maker to jump.
The investigation by Canada's Competition Bureau is not a surprise, given the size of the $7.25 billion buyout proposal and Oracle's large presence in Canada--it has 13 offices and more than 1,000 employees. It already faces examination from the U.S. Department of Justice, a large group of state attorneys general and the European Union. ...
"When there are substantial transactions proposed by companies, we have seen a proliferation of merger reviews by governments around the world," said Howard Morse, a former senior official with the Federal Trade Commission's high-tech antitrust division and now a partner with law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, D.C. "These governments, however, cooperate, and it's not surprising to ultimately see these other governments follow the U.S. lead."