Judge Rules Qualcomm’s Practices Violate Antitrust Law, Orders Changes

Qualcomm unlawfully suppressed competition in the market for cellphone chips and used its dominant position to exact excessive licensing fees, a federal judge ruled in a decision that could challenge the company’s business model and shake up the smartphone industry. US District Judge Lucy Koh sided sided with the Federal Trade Commission, which brought an antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm in January 2017. Judge Koh found that Qualcomm violated antitrust law, charging unreasonably high royalties for its patents and eliminating rivals. She challenged its practice of collecting billions of dollars by charging royalties on a percentage of a smartphone’s price.


Judge Rules Qualcomm’s Practices Violate Antitrust Law, Orders Changes