Qualcomm v. KFTC, Seoul High Court Ruling – Full Report

Brussels, July 22, 2020 – On 5 June, the Seoul High Court published the full text of its ruling in the appeal proceedings in which Qualcomm challenged the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) decision that had fined Qualcomm for unfair business practices related to standard essential patent (SEP) licensing.

On appeal, Qualcomm has sought to convince the High Court that it did not violate its obligations as an SEP holder by refusing licenses to rival chip manufacturers, and that it did not abuse its market power in the modem chip market. The company was appealing a 1.03 trillion won (USD 873 million) fine and corrective measures imposed by the KFTC, including an order to renegotiate its existing patent licences.

Please find an informal translation into English of the High Court ruling as well as an informal translation of the court’s press release about the ruling.

Please note that the informal translation is shared for informational purposes only.  FSA does not take any responsibility for any possible mistranslations.

 

Download full informal translation of the ruling here.

Download press release here.

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