People wonder why I also harp on big name publishers ad-nauseum.
It's because they haven't seen the travesty of what is mockingly called "legal justice" doled out today. I feel fortunate enough to have only witnessed such things rather than being the victim here. It was enough to forever drive me away from becoming a profession game developer though; it's a pity that corporate greed takes priority over any form of artistic initiative.
Shamus Young speaks the truth about the .com blitz, but I learned my lessons from 1990s-era-Microsoft; who used these "Business torpedo" tactics daily against a multitude of small software companies who otherwise had nothing to do with Microsoft or their business.
If the prime directive for our market is supposed to be "Innovation through competition", then it is sadly missing today.
That all been said, this is just Activision flexing its corporate muscle, and you can bet every single other publisher in the business will too in the near future.
Given enough time, people with power will inevitably abuse it; whether that power be finances, material goods, political favor, or public support.
The best we can do whilst we remain "civilized" is try to mitigate the problem and not let any entity grow too powerful.
For that purpose, I implore that if anyone reading this has any sense of ethics or reasoning, make the smart decision and just don't do business with these jokers. Period.