Qualcomm violated antitrust laws by suppressing competition for cellphone chips and using its dominant position to charge unreasonably high prices for its patents, a federal judge has ruled. In her ruling Tuesday, Judge Koh said Qualcomm earned more than it should have on those royalty payments by threatening to stop selling chips to handset makers. With Intel’s withdrawal from the 5G chip market, Qualcomm is the only company in the space. The company’s leading position in the market for 5G wireless chips, she noted, makes the company’s illegal conduct likely to continue. Judge Koh’s ruling did not prohibit Qualcomm from negotiating future royalty rates that are based on the value of handsets.

Source: Washington Post May 22, 2019 11:48 UTC