On 14 November 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed acquisition of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. (Anheuser-Busch) by InBev N.V./S.A (InBev). The DOJ simultaneously filed a proposed settlement requiring InBev to sell its Labatt USA subsidiary and to grant a license to brew and sell Labatt brand beer to consumers in the United States. According to the DOJ, without this divestiture, the proposed transaction would substantially lessen competition in violation of US federal antitrust laws and lead to higher prices for beer in three New York metropolitan areas.