The FTC makes a big argument here, The Nvidia Arm acquisition will be prepared to take steps that hurt its competitors who rely on Arms architecture or design because the profits it can derive from being more successful in those markets will outweigh the losses from licenses.
These are the same well-rehearsed arguments that I’ve been making for over a year now.
I can’t see the deal being allowed to go ahead - free trade, it seems, has its limits! :P
But whatever happens : Arm is the undisputed loser. Manufacturers will be questioning Arm’s management, wondering just how stable the company is.
If the deal doesn’t go ahead, Arm will either be floated, or some sort of consortium will be formed between those who use the ISA. In either case, Arm will need to seek out further funding, and compete for projects which are well-funded. Meanwhile Arm are right to point out that RISC-V has spent the uncertainty maturing its ISA and gaining popularity with OEMs… It might not be too long before they aren’t so reliant on ARM to develop their products.
IF the deal were to go ahead, Arm would be stripped for parts. And everyone will be putting in practice their contingency plan to go with RISC-V.