Qualcomm fine leads to Taiwan debate

Taiwan’s economic ministry appears to be of a different opinion to the country’s competition watchdog regarding a recent fine levied on Qualcomm, Reuters reported.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, while stating it respected the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) ruling, expressed concern about the potential impact on overseas investment in the country. It said the decision did not take into account the US chip giant’s contribution to the Taiwanese tech sector or the implications for future business, describing Qualcomm as an “indispensable partner”.

TFTC announced a fine of TWD23.4 billion ($774 million) relating to the sale of Qualcomm chips and its intellectual property practices last week. Qualcomm said at the time it would contest the ruling – and it now appears to have some powerful allies within the opposing (Taiwan) side.

According to Reuters, Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek was one of the supporters of the TFTC action, arguing it would lead to a fairer business environment. MediaTek is a close competitor to Qualcomm in the mobile device market, and struggled to grow its presence in the face of its rival.

source:https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/qualcomm-fine-leads-to-taiwan-debate/