A smartphone displays Qualcomm's company logo. A U.S. federal judge has ruled in favor of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission against U.S. 5G tech leader Qualcomm, declaring that the company broke antitrust laws.
In what could become a landmark case, a United States district judge on May 21 sided with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Qualcomm over its licensing prices. Judge Lucy Koh said that the San Diego-based telecommunications innovator broke U.S. antitrust law by "strangling competition" in the semiconductor chip industry and using its position as a key patent holder to demand unreasonably high licensing fees. Qualcomm will almost certainly appeal the ruling to a higher court, but if it stands, Koh's decision will hit at the heart of Qualcomm's business model, weakening the company at a time when it is in a heated competition with Chinese tech developers. A Controversial Case The FTC's case against Qualcomm has been controversial since it was filed, and U.S. President Donald Trump — as well as some of his trade commissioners — do not support it.
