Qualcomm (QCOM) said a lawsuit in the U.K. alleging it abused its dominant position to force Apple (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) to pay inflated royalties will be withdrawn, Reuters reported.
The U.K.’s Consumers’ Association called Which? had brought the case. In October 2025 Which? said it estimates that it represents 29M U.K. consumers who bought an Apple or Samsung smartphone since 2015. The organization added that it was seeking reimbursement of more than £480M for these consumers for the inflated prices that have been paid by the consumers due to Qualcomm’s alleged anticompetitive practices.
Which? had said then that Qualcomm refuses to supply chipsets to smartphone makers, such as Apple and Samsung, unless those companies obtain a separate license and pay inflated royalties to Qualcomm.
Qualcomm, however, said the lawsuit mischaracterized its requirement for manufacturers to get a license for its standard essential patents before buying chipsets, the report added.
Before the Competition Appeal Tribunal could rule after last year’s trial, Which? said that it would apply to withdraw the case, having reached an agreement under which Qualcomm will make no payment to the claimant class, the report noted.
Which? said that it had concluded that Qualcomm’s practices “did not infringe competition laws, did not result in inflated royalties, and did not lead to an increase in prices consumers paid for their mobile phones.”
Qualcomm did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.
“This recognition by the class representative, following a trial on the merits, reaffirms what the courts in the United States have repeatedly held: Qualcomm’s licensing practices are lawful and do not harm competition,” said a Qualcomm spokesperson to the news outlet.