Uncle Sam to block Adobe absorption of Figma over monopoly fears

Some investors felt Adobe’s purchase of Figma was overvalued, creative types that used the web-first design collaboration startup's wares were nervous about its takeover, and it seems the US Department of Justice is too. According to loquacious sources that spoke to Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity, the federal …

[Pascal Monett]

"Figma co-founder Dylan Field said this wouldn't happen"

Of course he would say that.

Now tell me just who is supposed to believe that the guy in charge of being bought out is going to say anything that will go contrary to him being bought out.

If it has been the Adobe CEO who said that it might have had a bit more clout . . . if anyone believes what that clown says about price hikes any more.

[Insert sadsack pun here]

Re: "Figma co-founder Dylan Field said this wouldn't happen"

Maybe Adobe should have bought Ligma instead.

[Anonymous Coward]

"The combination of Adobe and Figma will deliver significant value to consumers shareholders, advance new product categories and technologies captive audiences who we can squeeze for every last cent and create new market opportunities, and we've been delighted to hear from customers shareholders across the design space hedge funds who tell us they are excited about the benefits profits the transaction will unlock.

"Adobe and Figma focus on very different product areas today. Figma is a leader in interactive product design, focused on building a collaborative web platform. Adobe is a leader in the creative tools space holding users captive, helping millions of users create amazing visual content pay us eye-watering sums of money. Together, our vision will help enable millions of consumers dollars to transform their productivity with creativity buy our CEO a new yacht."

FTFY

[TVU]

"the federal executive department of the US government is planning to block the proposed $20 billion sale"

As Nelson Muntz of The Simpsons would say, "Ha Ha!".

Seriously though, the takeover of Figma by the huge Adobe Corporation was a highly anti-competitive act and, despite any claims to the contrary, Figma would have been completely subsumed into Adobe's perma-rental extortionware way of doing things to the detriment of existing Figma customers and wider consumer choice.

It is also good to actually see some government intervention at last to really promote competition and prevent a vast and ever increasing monopoly. It is also a very welcome F U to Adobe Corporation and not before time.

[IGotOut]

It WILL give consumers more choice.

Pony up £100's of pounds a year and get stuff you don't want....or fuck off.

[ecofeco]

Excellent

Obvious elimination of competition is obvious.

[spireite]

Doesn't happen?

In that case, this was a Figma of Adobe's imagination

[captain veg]

arty professionals

"one less option for arty professionals"

As a not-terribly-arty type (though possibly professional) I would say that a strong part of the Figma proposition is that it makes it reasonably easy for HTML/CSS jockeys (like me, some of the time) to get usable parameters out of the designers' flights of imagination.

It is conceivable that Adobe's offerings do likewise. I wouldn't know. I don't have a licence.

With Figma you can get in without paying for a licence. I don't know if this is so, but it would make sense if creatives had a compelling reason to pay for the service. For the likes of me that (whatever it might be) probably wouldn't be compelling. So the free layer is important to uptake.

-A.