Qualcomm must face an antitrust suit over its exclusive chip licensing practices, despite an appeals court ruling rejecting a similar case brought by the Federal Trade Commission, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled.
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley let part of the lawsuit move forward in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, where the chip manufacturer is locked in a years-long fight over its agreements with phone and tablet makers that have no choice but to license its “standard essential patents.”
In a37-page ruling, US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Jose, California, declined on Jan. 6 to throw out claims that Qualcomm violated California state antitrust law through “exclusive dealing” relationships with Apple Inc and other part suppliers and device makers to maintain a monopoly in the modem chip market. But the judge dismissed an allegation that Qualcomm unlawfully tied together the sale of its chips and patent licensing.
Read more: Chips Tech Firm Arm Sues Qualcomm & Nuvia
San Diego-based Qualcomm can still try to defeat the case entirely at a later stage in the litigation.
Qualcomm had argued all of the plaintiffs’ claims were barred after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2020 lost on appeal a case with similar allegations. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in the FTC case said Qualcomm’s practices did not violate federal antitrust law.
A Qualcomm spokesperson on Monday said that the “ruling narrows the plaintiffs’ remaining case, leaving only allegations of exclusive dealing,” claims against which Qualcomm has “strong defenses.”
Featured News
FTC Urged to Enforce Rarely Used Antitrust Law Against Retail Giants
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
UK’s Fingleton Bolsters Team with New Additions
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Britain’s Competition Regulator Clears Aviva’s Acquisition of AIG Life UK
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
White House Implements New AI Safeguards to Protect Rights and Safety
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Denver Court Sets August Date for Kroger-Albertsons Merger Showdown
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Real Estate & Antitrust
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Systematic National Evidence of Steering by Real Estate Agents
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Compliance Now! Actionable Antitrust Advice for the Residential Real Estate Industry
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Real Estate Commissions: Some Insights from the Economics of Multi-Sided Platforms
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
New Ideas for Promoting Real Estate Brokerage Price Competition
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI