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US: Qualcomm asks Court for documents in Korean probe

 |  January 11, 2016

The ongoing investigation against Qualcomm  by South Korean antitrust authorities receives a new twist, as the chipmaker files a subpoenas application at a federal court. However, in doing so, the semiconductor company puts itself in the crosshairs of some of its biggest rivals and even customers.

The company filed the application at the District Court in San Jose, California. The subpoenas would grant Qualcomm access to evidence, including documents from seven companies. Companies named in the filing include the US arm of MediaTek, Via Technologies, Broadcom, Texas Instruments and Intel. Each of the above mentioned companies, either previously or currently served as a direct rival to Qualcomm’s primary business, producing chips for mobile phones.

Qualcomm states that the documents in question contain information that will aid it in its upcoming antitrust hearings in South Korea. The hearings are speculated to begin this spring. The chipmaker further added that the companies highlighted in its appeal had not only provided the Korea Fair Trade Commission officials with testimonies but also documents. However, due to confidentiality clauses under South Korean procedures, access to these documents is restricted.

Full content: The Wall Street Journal

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