Qualcomm Hit With Amended Antitrust Class Action In CA

Qualcomm faces an amended class action in California federal court. The case alleges the chipmaker’s business conduct forced them to pay artificially inflated prices for mobile phones, tablets and other cellular devices.

The civil complaint filed in San Jose on behalf of tens of millions of California consumers marked a second effort in the case to hold Qualcomm liable for alleged market abuses. A US appeals court in September blocked the plaintiffs from pursuing federal antitrust claims and wiped out a nationwide class that was estimated to include up to 250 million members.

The refiled complaint focuses on claims that Qualcomm violated California’s state antitrust law, known as the Cartwright Act, and the state’s unfair competition law.

Class lawyers at Susman Godfrey and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy said in the complaint that the two state laws “provide more liberal standards for liability” than what’s available under the Sherman Act federal antitrust law.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers Kalpana Srinivasan of Susman Godfrey and Joseph Cotchett of Cotchett Pitre on Monday did not return messages seeking comment.

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