EU antitrust regulators reportedly set to fine Qualcomm

[nitpicker]

https://www.cnet.com/news/eu-antitrust-regulators-fine-qualcomm-apple-chips/

EU antitrust regulators reportedly set to fine Qualcomm

The chip giant could face a multimillion euro fine for allegedly paying Apple to use only its chips.

by
Steven Musil
January 23, 2018 6:00 PM PST

Antitrust regulators for the EU are expected to fine Qualcomm several million euros on Wednesday for paying Apple to use only its chips, according to The Financial Times. The European Commission regulators have accused the chip giant of violating antitrust laws by making payments to ensure exclusivity. The company could face a fine as high as 10 percent of its annual revenue, which was $22 billion in 2017.

Qualcomm, the world's biggest provider of mobile chips, has created some of the essential standards for connecting phones to cellular networks. It derives a significant portion of its revenue from licensing that technology to other chipmakers, but has come under scrutiny in recent years for alleged monopolistic practices.

Apple and Qualcomm have been fighting over patents since January 2017, when Apple filed suit against Qualcomm for roughly $1 billion, saying the wireless chipmaker didn't give fair licensing terms for its technology. It wants to pay a lower amount for using Qualcomm technology in its devices.

Qualcomm responded by suing Apple for patent infringement and seeking a ban on iPhone sales. The company maintains that no modern handset -- including the iPhone -- would have been possible without its cellular technologies.

The US Federal Trade Commission soon followed suit, accusing Qualcomm of forcing Apple to use its chips exclusively in exchange for lower licensing fees, excluding competitors and harming competition.
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