Intel, Samsung support FTC in its lawsuit against Qualcomm

Samsung and Intel have filed new briefs backing the United States Federal Trade Commission in its lawsuit against Qualcomm over its alleged anti-competitive practices. In their amicus briefs, the tech giants claim that they have been harmed by Qualcomm's misconduct in business practices. Back in December, Qualcomm was fined nearly $854 million by antitrust regulators in South Korea for the same. In January, the San Diego-based chip maker was sued by Apple for overcharging for the use of basic patents. Qualcomm then countersued Apple for breach of the agreement and alleged threats.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Intel has claimed that Qualcomm's practices have "inflicted and continues to inflict precisely the harms that the antitrust laws seek to protect against."

"Intel is ready, willing, and able to compete on the merits in this market that Qualcomm has dominated for years. But Qualcomm has maintained an interlocking web of abusive patent and commercial practices that subverts competition on the merits. These practices have illegally coerced mobile phone manufacturers into purchasing the chipsets they need from Qualcomm and Qualcomm alone," Intel wrote on its website.

While Intel is a major rival of Qualcomm, Samsung continues to be both competitor and customer. Samsung develops its own custom chipset for its mobile devices, but also uses Qualcomm's chipset for its mobile devices in select markets. The South Korean company believes that Qualcomm is limiting it from licensing its chipsets to non-Samsung entities. "Despite having requested a license from Qualcomm, Samsung cannot sell licensed Exynos chipsets to non-Samsung entities because Qualcomm has refused to license Samsung to make and sell licensed chipsets," Samsung said in its brief.

While Qualcomm didn't respond to Samsung and Intel's briefs in support of FTC, the company did cite financial challenges due to Apple lawsuit. Qualcomm's plea to dismiss the FTC lawsuit will be heard in June in California's federal court.

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