Qualcomm said Thursday that it plans to appeal a $773 million fine levied by Taiwanese trade officials over alleged antitrust violations.
The San Diego tech company said in a statement that it disagreed with the findings of the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission and would “seek to stay any required behavioral measures and appeal the decision to the Taiwanese courts.”
“The fine bears no rational relationship to the amount of Qualcomm’s revenues or activities in Taiwan, and Qualcomm will appeal the amount of the fine and the method used to calculate it,” the company added.
Reuters reported that the fine is the latest in a series of disputes between regulators and Qualcomm, which sells chips as well as licenses its patented technology to phone makers — prompting allegations that it took advantage of its market position to charge unfair royalties.
The TFTC reportedly determined that Qualcomm operated a monopoly in the nation’s chip market and refused to issue licenses to rival companies.
Regulators in China and Korea fined Qualcomm in 2015 and 2016, respectively, for $975 million and $854 million, and U.S. trade officials are currently suing the company.
Qualcomm and Apple are also locked in a legal dispute involving licensing fees and allegations of patent infringement.
Filed Under: Industry regulations
