Block the Merger Coalition Asks Court to Reject Paramount’s Settlement With States Over Warner Bros. Deal

A coalition of groups under the Block the Merger banner have filed an amicus brief – a third party representation in a court case – opposing the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

The brief was filed late Thursday by Free Press, the Committee for the First Amendment, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Future Film Coalition and the International Documentary Association in the federal court of California.

Earlier that day Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who is presiding over the case, gave interested parties permission to file amicus briefs with a deadline of 12:01 a.m. PT on Sept. 25 after the Block the Merger groups filed an emergency motion requesting leave to file. The legal move came after 12 state attorneys general reached a settlement over proposed legal action over the merger.

“Since the terms of the consent decree were announced on Monday morning, few outside of those with a financial interest in this deal have suggested that it addresses the harms to competition, creativity, and independent journalism this merger will cause for years to come. The deal has been met with silence, skepticism, or tepid support at best,” the groups said in a joint statement.

“The arguments laid out in this brief reflect the concerns that just days ago, California Attorney General Bonta also willingly voiced. While we may never know what caused the radical turnabout to deliver such a toothless settlement, we do know that this consent decree bucks governmental safeguards designed to protect the public from harm. The court should reject it outright.”

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has also filed an amicus brief against the settlement.