The U.S. FTC is going after Qualcomm:
The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint in federal district court charging Qualcomm Inc. with using anticompetitive tactics to maintain its monopoly in the supply of a key semiconductor device used in cell phones and other consumer products. Qualcomm is the world's dominant supplier of baseband processors – devices that manage cellular communications in mobile products. The FTC alleges that Qualcomm has used its dominant position as a supplier of certain baseband processors to impose onerous and anticompetitive supply and licensing terms on cell phone manufacturers and to weaken competitors.
[...] According to the complaint, by threatening to disrupt cell phone manufacturers' supply of baseband processors, Qualcomm obtains elevated royalties and other license terms for its standard-essential patents that manufacturers would otherwise reject. These royalties amount to a tax on the manufacturers' use of baseband processors manufactured by Qualcomm's competitors, a tax that excludes these competitors and harms competition. Increased costs imposed by this tax are passed on to consumers, the complaint alleges. By excluding competitors, Qualcomm impedes innovation that would offer significant consumer benefits, including those that foster the increased interconnectivity of consumer products, vehicles, buildings, and other items commonly referred to as the Internet of Things.
Get in line:
EU Investigates Qualcomm For Antitrust Activities
Qualcomm Faces EU Antitrust Charges Over "Predatory Pricing"
Qualcomm Fined $853 Million by South Korea for Antitrust Violations
Also at Bloomberg and The Verge.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 19 2017, @03:50AM
First, gubbermint grants a monopoly to company X.
Company X uses it's monopoly position to extract money from end users, customer corporations, competing corporations, government itself, and anyone else from whom they can extract money.
Companies A, B, and C cry in court that Company X is exploiting them.
The same gubbermint which granted the monopoly to Company X now takes Company X to court for exercising it's monopoly "rights".
And, few people see any need to overhaul the system? Insanity seems to rule.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 19 2017, @01:52PM
Start by dismantling the monopolies that government has arrogated to itself.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by linkdude64 on Thursday January 19 2017, @04:23PM
Better to oscillate around the ideal government than to head into a single direction, never to return.
Unless you think people, or any of their creations, are capable of perfection.