Even if CK Hutchison is successful in court, reviving the tie-up between 3 UK and O2 appears unlikely, with Telefonica now working on floating a minority stake of the company. CK Hutchison could however seek compensation from the EC, with its UK plans now up in the air, as it struggles to compete with market leaders BT, which now owns EE, and Vodafone. The company may also seek to send a message by mounting the challenge, as it is currently in the midst of merging its assets in Italy with VimpelCom's Wind, a deal which is also going through EU regulatory approval.