Qualcomm Won't Have to Dismantle Its Business After All

Last year, federal Judge Lucy Koh delivered a monumental victory to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), ordering the company to essentially dismantle broad swaths of its business. The mobile chip giant was to be barred from forcing customers to ink licensing agreements in order to secure chip supply, known as its "no license, no chips" policy. Qualcomm would also have to offer standards-essential patents (SEPs) to rivals on a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) basis, as well as let customers renegotiate onerous existing licensing agreements, among other consequences.