EU hits Qualcomm with $1.2B fine over paying Apple to freeze out competitors

While the European Union still has its own unfinished business with Apple, the EU has sided with the company in its fight with Qualcomm, 9to5Mac reports. The EU fined Qualcomm $1.2 billion after ruling that the company’s rebate payments to Apple to freeze out other chip makers unfairly stifled competition. While the EU claims Apple’s deal with Qualcomm was anti-competitive, Apple wasn’t the subject of any further fines since the EU found Apple explored other options in the 5 years Qualcomm was using royalty payments to hold the company hostage. That royalty deal is a major component of Apple’s ongoing legal fight with Qualcomm, with Apple arguing that Qualcomm wants to capitalize on the work of others and Qualcomm arguing Apple wants to use technology they created without paying the company that developed it.

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Dan Pye was a news editor at iLounge. He's been involved with technology his whole life, and started writing about it in 2009. He's written about everything from iPhone and iPad cases to Apple TV accessories.