Paramount says the merger is lawful and pro-competitive. A federal judge has temporarily halted the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. after a coalition of 12 US states argued the deal would violate federal antitrust law. As reported by Variety, Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin granted a 14-day temporary restraining order, ruling that the states had raised serious questions about the legality of the transaction. Paramount, however, welcomed the temporary order, saying it allows the court to examine the antitrust issues while maintaining that the merger is lawful, pro-competitive and would benefit consumers, creators, workers and the wider industry. “This merger is lawful, pro-competitive, and will benefit consumers, creators, workers, and the entertainment industry," said a Paramount spokesperson.