Qualcomm ruling in contrast
In Qualcomm’s case, the company secured a slight reduction of its EU antitrust fine, lowering the penalty to $266 million (€238.7 million) from the original $270 million (€242 million), but the court dismissed its other claims.
The fine, handed down by the European Commission in 2019, was based on claims that Qualcomm engaged in predatory pricing from 2009 to 2011, selling chipsets below cost to undercut British software firm Icera, now owned by Nvidia.
Compared to the Google ruling, Qualcomm’s failure to successfully appeal its fine highlights a different set of challenges, underscoring the varied regulatory issues impacting different areas of the technology sector, according to George. “As for its relevance to the semiconductor and chip markets, this ruling reinforces the substantial restrictions these markets will continue to face, particularly concerning competitive practices,” George said. “Competition within the semiconductor space could drive businesses to address issues like predatory pricing and stricter antitrust enforcement.”