In a longstanding landmark dispute over the permissibility of the distribution of automation software for the computer game “World of Warcraft” (so-called bot programs), US computer game developer Blizzard Entertainment prevailed over Bossland GmbH, a leading provider of Bot programs.
Led by Frankfurt-based Partner Tobias Faber and Counsel Alexander Stefan Rieger, Hogan Lovells advised a joint venture between Keppel Telecommunications & Transport and Alpha Investment Partners (both Singapore) on the acquisition of a data centre in Frankfurt. The volume of the transaction amounts to EUR 76 million.
The subsidiaries of Keppel Corporation acquired the data centre and will operate it on their own in the coming years; the seller Citigroup will remain one of the data centre's tenants.
Gide has advised Viadeo, a company listed on compartment C of Euronext Paris that operates a professional social networking site, and its US subsidiary APVO. After an out-of-court phase, the companies entered a reorganisation proceeding at the end of November 2016 in order to implement a sale plan. In this context, the takeover offer by Figaro Classifieds, part of Groupe Figaro and online job boards leader in France, was chosen by the Paris commercial court on 23 December 2016, less than one month after Viadeo began its reorganisation proceeding.
LONDON – Global law firm Dechert LLP advised Magyar Telecom B.V. (“Matel BV”) on the sale of its holding in the Invitel Group toto the China CEE Investment Co-operation Fund (whose investment adviser is CEE Equity Partners). The Invitel group is a leading Hungarian infrastructure-based telco and IT service provider. The Proposed Sale values the Invitel Group at an enterprise value of €202 million, and is subject to shareholder and Hungarian competition authority approval.
A team led by Dr. Pär Johansson of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek's Cologne office advised data and information management specialist Schober Information Group, based in Ditzingen, on selling its Swiss business to KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG.
Olswang has advised Munich-based technology and media company Hubert Burda Media on its 100% acquisition of Immediate Media, the UK content and digital platform group from Exponent Private Equity and Management.
The deal transfers ownership of several key magazine titles including Radio Times as well as a number of BBC-branded magazine titles such as Top Gear, Top of the Pops and CBeebies. The titles will add to Burda’s portfolio of more than 540 brands worldwide, ranging from household name fashion magazines such as Elle and InStyle to social media platform XING.
With a team led by Dr. Philip Kempermann, LL.M., Partner at the Düsseldorf office, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised booksellers Hugendubel, Thalia, and Weltbild on reorganizing the tolino alliance. The reorganization was necessary to realize growth opportunities in the ebook market and further efficiency improvements. In this connection, Deutsche Telekom AG sold the technology platform for tolino to the new technology partner, Japanese-Canadian company Rakuten Kobo.
Eversheds has advised leading managed IT services GCI on its acquisition of Hertfordshire-based unified communications specialist, Freedom Communications.
The Eversheds team was led by corporate partner Jon Cox-Brown and comprised principal associates Matthew Hussey (corporate) and Nathan Pritchard (banking) and associate Victoria Towers (real estate).
This is the fifth acquisition for GCI in under 12 months. It follows hot on the heels of its acquisition of high profile Cloud specialist Outsourcery six months ago, on which Eversheds also advised.
Baker McKenzie advised BizLink Holding Inc., a leading provider of interconnect solutions, on its acquisition of the Electrical Appliance Assemblies business of Leoni AG by means of a share deal. The parties intend to close the transaction in the first half of 2017, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
The worldwide market research company GfK in Nuremberg has concluded a lease agreement for its new headquarters in Nuremberg. The company is now able to combine its locations distributed throughout the city at one location in a new building complex build for the company at the location "Am Kohlenhof". The contract partner of GfK is a joint venture company involving Aurelis Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Pegasus Capital Partners GmbH and Art-Invest Real Estate. The three real estate and investment companies entered into a joint venture for the planning, development and realization.