Qualcomm Fined $272 Million by EU for Predatory Pricing
- Company sold below-cost chips to eliminate U.K. firm Icera
- Second EU antitrust fine for firm after $1b fine last year
A Qualcomm chip from an Apple smartphone.
Photographer: Brent Lewin/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Qualcomm Inc. was fined 242 million euros ($272 million) by European Union antitrust regulators for deliberately pricing some chips so low they could eliminate a smaller rival.
The penalty comes a year after Qualcomm was ordered to pay 997 million euros for thwarting rival suppliers to Apple Inc. The EU said Thursday’s fine was 1.27% of Qualcomm’s revenue last year and "aimed at deterring market players" from trying the same thing.