Qualcomm appeal against South Korea FTC order for a second time

Back in December, the South Korean Fair Trade Commission found U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm guilty of monopolistic practises, resulting in a hefty $850 million fine. Its original appeal to the Seoul High Court was denied, but Qualcomm isn’t deterred easily with the company filing a second appeal.

KFTC stated at the end of its three-year investigation that Qualcomm had an “unfair business model” that contributed to the company’s domination of the LTE chip market, doubling from 34 to 69 percent in just five years.

In a bid not to pay the $850 million fine, Qualcomm originally appealed to the Seoul High Court which was rejected this Tuesday on the basis that the KFTC order wouldn’t cause “irreparable harm” to the chipmaker. Qualcomm are pushing forward again with another appeal, releasing a statement on the matter.

“Qualcomm continues to believe that the KFTC's decision is not supported by the acts and law, and was the product of a hearing and investigation that denied Qualcomm fundamental due process rights.”

Qualcomm seems to be fighting battles on every front, with it embroiled in a legal battle with the US Federal Trade Commission over royalty fees, in a direct battle against Apple over similar unfair licensing terms and being fined $669,000 by the European Commission for its alleged monopolistic behaviour and failure to accommodate the investigation.

KitGuru Says: Unless Qualcomm has something new to bring to the table, I can’t see it winning its second appeal. With the FTC, KFTC and Apple at Qualcomm’s throat, it’s difficult to see what the chipmakers next move will be.

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