New developments in Qualcomm's antitrust case: handset makers stop paying royalties

According to http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/31646.html "> media reports, September 12 NDRC price supervision and inspection and antitrust bureau Director Hucunlin at a briefing at the National new office revealed that the Qualcomm Monopoly case investigation has ended , will soon enter the penalty phase. Press to see the NDRC official website has not yet had a clear information bulletin. Reporters through the PR company to Qualcomm to prove the result of the punishment, but because the United States headquarters to reply, as of the press has not yet responded. And insiders Zhongbai to the south, because Qualcomm's antitrust investigation, will be announced punishment scheme, cool pie and other domestic big mobile phone manufacturers began to take delaying strategy, "such as the final survey of the Development and Reform Commission" as a result of the delay in the payment of royalties.

Industry jokingly Qualcomm is "IRD"

Zhongbai told reporters, "If only a high price ticket, the Qualcomm business does not cause too much impact, mobile phone manufacturers would like to see the high-pass patent fee model subversion." ”

"For mobile phone manufacturers, the past Qualcomm is the ' tax ', regardless of the mobile phone to make money, the first set aside this expenditure to Qualcomm. "Zhongbai told reporters that Qualcomm's main monopoly performance is its patent fees, using its monopolistic position in the W CDM a single chip manufacturer to charge too high a price.

"According to other chip manufacturers, mobile phone manufacturers need to pay chip manufacturers about 5% of the cost of the patent fee, but Qualcomm is based on the cost of 5% of the machine." For example, the whole machine 3000 yuan, Qualcomm charge a patent fee of 150 yuan, and its chip price is only about 200 yuan. Zhongbai said, in the functional machine era, the machine price of about 1000 yuan, the difference is not obvious, but into the era of the smart machine, for many mobile phone manufacturers are overwhelmed.

It also makes them sit on high profits. According to Qualcomm earnings reports, its revenue is 68.100 million dollars, net profit of 22, 400 million U.S. dollars, net profit margin of 32%, compared to Apple's net profit margin of 20%, and the patent payment side, China's mobile phone manufacturers generally net profit margin of only 1% to 5%, and a great deal of profits transferred to Qualcomm.

The result of this punishment will also be enormous, judging from the five visits to China and the NDRC by senior US officials. According to Qualcomm's latest earnings, royalties account for about 50% of total revenue, while China has contributed 70%.

Bribery or PR?

The investigation faces the finale, and in the high-pass antitrust investigation, Zhang Xinhu, a member of the academy's Antitrust group, was dismissed as a cause of concern. Qualcomm issued a statement clarifying the fact: "Qualcomm hired the ' Global Economics group ' to produce an economic analysis report to be submitted to the NDRC." The Chicago-headquartered consultancy has hired Zhang Xinhu to write the report together. "Qualcomm and Zhang Xinhu have no direct financial dealings," he said.

But at the press briefing, national development and Reform Commission price supervision Inspection and antitrust director Hucunlin in the press briefing, Qualcomm has with the Academy of Social Sciences antitrust experts Zhang Xinhu reached an agreement, remuneration at 800 dollars per hour calculation, and Xu said that the insider is Qualcomm president himself: " The second time Qualcomm's president came to see me, at the end of the year, we were presented with a report that was written by three academics, one of whom was Dr. Zhang Xinhu, who deliberately reminded us that Zhang Xinhu was a researcher at your Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a member of the Advisory Group of the State Council's Antimonopoly Committee. "In Hucunlin view, Xin Bamboo" serious violation of the expert Group work discipline, and be dismissed.

In this respect, Zhang Xinhu admitted that it did receive 200,000 U.S. dollars, "marked" 6 million U.S. dollars details have not been confirmed.