In a sweeping decision, Judge Lucy Koh has ruled last week that Qualcomm violated the antitrust laws in licensing its 4G digital communications technology in smartphones. “Invent a better mousetrap, and you'll be rewarded” has long been the motto driving the U.S. innovation economy—from lightbulbs to airplanes to smartphones. Everyone benefits. This is in doubt now.
The Federal Trade Commission filed its lawsuit against Qualcomm at the close of the Obama Administration in early 2017. The agency accused Qualcomm of violating the antitrust laws by charging too much in its license agreements for smartphone manufacturers to use its patented 4G technology. Judge Koh presided over the trial in January 2019.
Read Full Article »