Funny... I feel like that's exactly the relationship between Xbox and the gaming industry

@abriael:”All of these moves Microsoft is doing that you're reading about are *defensive* moves to defend themselves against the FTC's lawsuit.”
You sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I a legal case in the U.S there’s a term called discovery where the defense and government must provide all evidence to each others regarding the case not only what they think will prove/ disprove their respective point.
There’s also a OVERREACH where ether ask for extra information that can’t be publicly shared like trade secrets and other stuff, by asking for stuff outside the case Microsoft is OVERREACHING for information and by doing so can open themselves to more legal troubles.
I’m not a lawyer but I at least know that much.
You say FTC this FTC that but they can stop and go to the appropriate channels all the way to the Supreme Court to have the FTC stop.

Edit: to your edit what I had written is a fact of the U.S LAW and before you start commenting on another country laws EDUCATE YOUR SELF ABOUT THEM

*** If you're American, *your* money is being spent on this because the FTC doesn't want to give up on really minimal hope of breaking up the acquisition. Their behavior is politically motivated, so they don't want to withdraw, no matter how small their chances. ***

As if Microsoft itself isn't dictating policy to politicians on this purchase because big American company good. It's politics on all sides, but FTC is the political force because they're doing their actual job of preventing anti-competitive measures? Come on now, that's just bias.

*** All of these moves Microsoft is doing that you're reading about are *defensive* moves to defend themselves against the FTC's lawsuit. ***

They are the active in making their aggressive maneuvers less indefensible. Phrasing this as them defending themselves is kind of like phrasing Russia as defending the areas they've taken from Ukraine. Both sides or being aggressive and defensive, but Microsoft is the aggressor in this debate.

I was going to say about the same thing Chris. Abriel says it's politically motivated but seemed to forget that Microsoft sent their congressman hounds after Sony to get the deal made talking about Sony has a high end Monopoly. Totally sidestepping that Microsoft was purchasing those publishers to monopolize successful franchises and IPS.