The US Federal Trade Commission’s case against Qualcomm is now in the hands of a judge.  On Tuesday the two sides presented their hour-long closing arguments in a case that could have big implications for the technology world. The FTC has accused Qualcomm of operating a monopoly in the mobile chip market, which hurt rivals …

“Outrageous.” “Fabricated.” “All messed up.” “Sloppy.” That’s how the US Federal Trade Commission’s key expert witness on Monday said he viewed testimony given by Qualcomm’s expert economists last week.   Carl Shapiro, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday defended his theory that Qualcomm’s high royalty rates hurt competitors, handset makers and consumers and helped …

Qualcomm on Friday wrapped up its defense against US Federal Trade Commission allegations that it operates a monopoly in mobile chips.  The company called Aviv Nevo, a University of Pennsylvania economics and marketing professor, to rebut claims made by FTC experts. It also called Alex Rogers, the current head of its licensing business, to reiterate how Qualcomm’s licensing business operates.  …

Qualcomm doesn’t have enough “market power” to hurt competition in the mobile chip market, one of the expert witnesses for the company testified Tuesday.  Tasneem Chipty, an expert in competition policy and antitrust economics, pointed to instances where Qualcomm did things like cut chip pricing in response to strong MediaTek processors hitting the market or Intel possibly winning business with …

If Qualcomm didn’t have to release standalone modems for Apple, it wouldn’t invest the time and money to update them every year, the company’s chief technology officer said Friday. James Thompson, testifying on behalf of Qualcomm, said it costs Qualcomm about $250 million a year to tweak its modems for Apple.  “Apple requires we come out with a new one …

Qualcomm doesn’t have all the power when it comes to negotiating licensing contracts, a company executive testified Friday. Instead, handset makers have options to reach terms they view as more favorable, he said.  Fabian Gonell, senior vice president of licensing strategy and legal counsel for Qualcomm’s licensing business, said during a trial Friday that Samsung, Sony Mobile and others have …

The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday presented its last witnesses and evidence in its case against Qualcomm. Now it’s up to Qualcomm to defend itself in the coming days against claims it’s a monopoly in wireless chips.  The FTC, aided by chipmaker Intel and iPhone vendor Apple, filed suit two years ago, accusing Qualcomm of forcing customers like Apple to work with it exclusively …

The smartphones we have today wouldn’t be possible without Qualcomm. Or at least that’s what the chip giant sought to show Tuesday during a trial instigated by the US Federal Trade Commission. The two have been battling in a San Jose, California, courtroom since Jan. 4. On Tuesday afternoon, the FTC wrapped up its case against the company. The agency …

A German court on Tuesday dismissed Qualcomm’s latest patent suit against Apple, calling the claims “unfounded.” Separately, the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board on Tuesday said it will review three Qualcomm patents at issue in its International Trade Commission cases against Apple.  The German case is related to something called “bulk tension” or voltage in …

Apple wanted to use Qualcomm’s 4G LTE processors in its newest iPhones, but the chipmaker wouldn’t sell to it, Apple’s operating chief testified Monday. And that’s had a ripple effect on how quickly Apple can make the shift to 5G. Qualcomm continues to provide Apple with chips for its older iPhones, including the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple COO …