Washington — The FTC has won its legal case against Qualcomm. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found that Qualcomm’s licensing approach was anticompetitive. Judge Koh’s order requires Qualcomm to license standard essential patents to other competitors, bars them from threatening to cut off chip supply, and bars them from requiring customers to take a patent license if they want to buy chips.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association joined the App Association in an amicus brief supporting the FTC’s case.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“CCIA has long led in supporting vigorous government action to prevent and stop harmful anti-competitive behavior. At a time when there are many poorly conceived attacks on tech rivals under the cloak of monopoly abuse, this case re-validates the importance and effectiveness of the US competition authorities in preserving a competitive digital ecosystem.
“This ruling shows the FTC is using its antitrust authority to crack down on anti-competitive practices and that the court system is upholding the law as well. Qualcomm improperly benefits from its use of standard essential patents that other companies use to build compatible products. We support the court’s determination that Qualcomm used anti-competitive tactics to harm competitors and consumers. This ruling is a win for wireless technology and American competitiveness in 5G.”