FTC signs off on Digimarc, L-1 deal
18 June, 2008
category: Government
The Federal Trade Commission signed of on the sale of Digimarc’s driver license unit to L-1 Identity Solutions. This erases concerns that antitrust issues would hold up the deal, says Jeremy Grant, senior vice president and identity solutions analyst at the Stanford Group Company.
The ruling could have slipped till July, which would have delayed the deal, but not it will probably close by September 1, Grant says. An upcoming filing by Digimarc – expected in the next 1-2 weeks – will provide details of what the spin-off will look like, he adds. After the merger the new combined company will have about 90% of the U.S. driver license contracts.