The Great Siege of Qualcomm: How Three Waves of Assaults on Qualcomm from 2013 to 2020 Helped Strengthen U.S. Technology Leadership – Part Two
Looking at how healthy and well-positioned Qualcomm is today, especially as a decade of R&D investments and fundamental technology bets are beginning to bear fruit with the commercialization of 5G, it would be easy to forget how many challenges the San Diego tech giant has managed to overcome over the course of the past seven […]
Amazon and Facebook Seek Recusal of FTC Chair Lina Khan
The News: Amazon and Facebook have filed petitions seeking Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan’s recusal in antitrust cases involving their companies. Read the full news item on CNBC. Analyst Take: I’m going to make a bold prediction here that there is no circumstance barring a felony (or similar) that will see these petitions granted. Khan was appointed to […]
The Problem with Congress’s 5 New Antitrust Bills Aimed at Reining In U.S. Big Tech
Last Friday, House Democrats introduced five new antitrust-style bills aimed at curtailing the market dominance of U.S. technology companies. Futurum’s Olivier Blanchard breaks down the nuances of the bills, outlines the problems with each, and shares thoughts on the challenges ahead.
UK Consumer Advocacy Group Which? Lawsuit Against Qualcomm Seems Doomed Already
The News: Which?, a UK-based consumer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm on Feb. 18 with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging anticompetitive behavior. Claimant Which? bills itself as a consumer champion, engaging in product research and reviews to help customers “make confident choices.” In its claim, Which? alleges that Qualcomm […]
Qualcomm Exonerated by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Court Declines Final FTC Petition
The News: Qualcomm has been exonerated by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, with the Court yesterday declining the Federal Trade Commission’s petition to “rehear” arguments against Qualcomm. This effectively puts an end to the FTC’s dubious antitrust case against the San Diego tech giant. In August, a three-judge panel with the 9th Circuit […]
What Qualcomm’s Landmark Antitrust Victory Against the FTC Really Means for the Mobile Industry, Investors, and Consumers
The News: After just a few short months of deliberation, the three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals tasked with evaluating the FTC’s antitrust case against Qualcomm unanimously ruled in Qualcomm’s favor this week. Qualcomm’s landmark antitrust victory against the FTC ends a years-long ordeal of the absurd for the US technology giant […]
FTC Arguments Against Qualcomm Fail to Impress 9th Circuit Court
Last Thursday, the 9th Circuit Court heard arguments from the FTC, Qualcomm, and the Department of Justice, in what was the latest chapter of the controversial FTC v. Qualcomm, Inc “antitrust” case – a case which you may recall from our coverage and analysis here last year. Arguments, which were intended to last roughly an […]
After the $5 Billion Dollar Fine, The FTC Isn’t Done With Facebook
Joseph Simons, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), said on Monday that Facebook’s effort to integrate Instagram and WhatsApp more closely could stymie any attempt to break up the social media giant. Mr Simons said all options were on the table as the agency investigates Facebook for potential antitrust violations, including major divestitures, […]
Something is Afoot at the Circle Koh: FTC v. Qualcomm Just Went off the Rails, but there is no Reason to Panic
I don’t usually reference Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure in the titles of articles I write about serious matters, but today’s topic is so bizarre and beyond judicial norms that it warrants an exception. I am referring to, as the title suggests, Judge Koh’s inexplicable decision to side with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against […]
Opinion: It Only Took a Few Days of Testimony for the FTC’s Case Against Qualcomm to Fall Apart – Part 3
How the future of critical US technology investments, US 5G leadership, and US National Security could be irreversibly damaged by a faulty verdict. The FTC’s very strange case against Qualcomm: A recap of what has happened so far. United States District Judge Lucy Koh may be the most powerful person in America right now. Over […]
Opinion: It Only Took a Few Days of Testimony for the FTC’s Case Against Qualcomm to Fall Apart – Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how, two years ago, when the FTC first filed its case against Qualcomm in US District Court, outgoing FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen took the extraordinary step of drafting a dissent letter that outlined just how unjustified and ill-advised the FTC’s case against Qualcomm was. She wasn’t wrong. […]
Opinion: It Only Took a few Days of Testimony for the FTC’s Case Against Qualcomm to Fall Apart – Part 1
Two years ago, when the FTC first filed its case against Qualcomm in US District Court, outgoing FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen took the extraordinary step of drafting a dissent letter that outlined just how unjustified and ill-advised the FTC’s case against Qualcomm was. She wasn’t wrong, and the FTC should have heeded her warning. Following […]
