EU antitrust regulators are expected to impose a multi-million euro fine on Qualcomm[1] on Wednesday for paying Apple[2] to use only its chips, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The European Commission in 2015 accused the company of the anti-competitive behaviour. The fine could in theory go as high as 10 percent of Qualcomm's annual revenue, which was $22.2 billion (roughly Rs. 1.41 lakh crores) for its most recent fiscal year.
Apple and Qualcomm are engaged in a wide-ranging legal battle over Qualcomm's business practices, which started a year ago with Apple suing Qualcomm for nearly $1 billion (roughly Rs. 6,360 crores) in patent royalty rebates that the chipmaker allegedly withheld from the phone maker.
Other regulators including the US Federal Trade Commission are investigating Qualcomm's dealings with Apple, and the decision may make Qualcomm more vulnerable to chip maker Broadcom[3] Ltd's $103 billion (roughly Rs. 6.55 lakh crores) hostile bid for it. Broadcom argues it will smooth rocky relations with customers such as Apple.
Europe's antitrust regulators are pursuing two proceedings against Qualcomm, with the second expected in coming months, the person familiar with the matter said.
In 2015, European regulators lodged a statement of objections against Qualcomm that it had made payments to "a major smartphone and tablet manufacturer" in exchange for the smartphone maker exclusively using its baseband chipsets, which connect mobile devices to wireless data networks. Apple is the customer, this person said.
The Financial Times earlier on Tuesday reported[4] the expected decision, which covers Qualcomm's behaviour from 2011 to 2016.
In filings in a US federal court case against one another, Apple and Qualcomm gave duelling descriptions of a so-called "transition agreement" signed by the two...