Taiwan's version of the FTC clears Microsoft's purchase of Nokia's Devices and Services unit

Taiwan's version of the FTC cleared Microsoft's purchase of Nokia Devices and Services with some minor conditions required. One condition is that Nokia refrain from raising its licensing fees for patents. This is being done so that handset manufacturers aren't forced to select one platform over another. The other condition is that Nokia must continue to license its standard essentials patents under FRAND conditions.

Taiwan's FTC received statements from Google and Samsung last month, to help them make this decision. There is some speculation that the deal will officially close at the end of this month and will be official announced at BUILD 2014 on April 2nd. Even Nokia's ongoing tax issue with the Indian government isn't expected to stop the deal from closing. A factory in Chennai, one of Nokia's most important handset manufacturing plants, is supposed to be turned over to Microsoft when the deal closes. The Indian government has taken over the factory and is demanding more money from Nokia to let it go. If the plant isn't available to turn over to Microsoft when the acquisition closes, the price of the deal will be adjusted accordingly.

The $7.2 billion deal was announced last September and from the beginning, the deal was expected to close at the end of the first quarter of 2014, which expires on March 31st.

source: FTC (translated) via NPU, WMPoweruser