Qualcomm accused of forcing deal on Apple to thwart rivals

Qualcomm forced Apple to use its chips exclusively in exchange for lower licensing fees, excluding competitors and harming competition, the US said in a lawsuit Tuesday. Qualcomm’s exclusive deal with Apple was detailed in a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing the chipmaker of illegally maintaining a monopoly for semiconductors used in mobile phones and pocketing elevated royalties from customers. Qualcomm issued a statement saying the central thesis of the FTC’s complaint is wrong. “The portrayal of facts offered by the FTC as the basis for the agency’s case is significantly flawed,” the company said.