A federal judge’s ruling that Qualcomm Inc. unlawfully stifled competition in the market for wireless chips cast a new cloud over the tech giant and set the stage for further upheaval in its dealings with the world’s smartphone makers. The decision by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, who sided with the Federal Trade Commission in its antitrust suit against Qualcomm, delivered a major blow to a company that has been held up by the Trump administration as a keystone in U.S. technological competition with China. ...
A federal judge has ruled that Qualcomm breached US antitrust laws by charging excessive licensing fees and suppressing competition in the market for mobile phone chips. The ruling is a major blow to Qualcomm, which was accused of using its dominant position as an iPhone supplier to stifle competition. Qualcomm must now renegotiate its licensing agreements with customers by lowering its prices and ending threats to cut off access to its chips. The company will also be prohibited from signing exclusive supply agreements with smartphone manufacturers which prevent its rivals from selling chips to the same firm.