Qualcomm defeats consumers' antitrust claims over chip supply contracts

A smartphone with a displayed Qualcomm logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - Qualcomm on Tuesday defeated a consumer lawsuit in California federal court alleging the chipmaker's contracts with device manufacturers had artificially boosted the cost of mobile phones in violation of U.S. antitrust law.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco ruled for Qualcomm on the merits of the case in a 15-page order, marking the latest setback for the plaintiffs in a long-running dispute that challenged the company's patent licensing and exclusive-dealing chip agreements with Apple and other manufacturers.