FTC drops Qualcomm antitrust case
Commission decides not to take the case to Supreme Court
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday dropped its antitrust case against Qualcomm instead of taking it to the Supreme Court.
The FTC first filed the complaint against the US chip giant in 2017. The commission accused Qualcomm of having a monopoly in baseband chips.
It said the company’s practice of not supplying its chip unless its customers agree to its licensing agreements, as well as the firm only offering discounts of the licensing fee if the customers agree to use its chips were antitrust behaviors.
The district court for the Northern District of California ruled in favor of the FTC in May 2019. However, in August 2020. Qualcomm won the ruling in the appeals court. FTC’s request to the Court of Appeals for a retrial was denied.