Broadcom is pushing for a California federal court to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by Samsung, which accuses the chipmaker of unfairly blocking competitors from the market through an exclusive supply agreement. The case revolves around a 2020 “strategic agreement” between the two companies for the supply of chips and components used in Samsung smartphones.
In its motion filed Wednesday, Broadcom argued that the agreement did not prevent Samsung from sourcing components from other suppliers, pointing out that Samsung continued to do so before, during, and after the agreement’s term. Broadcom emphasized that the agreement was not exclusive and did not tie the sale of any component to the purchase of its chips, countering Samsung’s claims of an illegal tying arrangement.
The chipmaker also contended that Samsung’s lawsuit was filed too late, as the agreement in question was signed more than four years ago and was only in effect for six months in 2021—too short a period to support an exclusive dealing claim. Broadcom further likened the agreement’s terms to Qualcomm’s “no license, no chips” policy, which was previously upheld by the Ninth Circuit as not violating antitrust law.
