This consent decree requires the court's approval to become binding. It does not address any anticompetitive concerns that might have arisen from the merger itself. The Federal Trade Commission vote to authorize filing of the complaint and consent was 5-0. They were filed by FTC attorneys serving as special attorneys to the U.S. Department of Justice this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A consent decree is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation.
Consent decrees have the force of law when signed by the judge.