Samsung Faces EU Antitrust Complaint Over Apple Patent Clash

Samsung faces a European Union antitrust complaint over its use of standard- essential patents in legal disputes with Apple, the EU’s competition commissioner said.

“We will adopt the statement of objections very soon,” said Joaquin Almunia, the bloc’s antitrust chief. He said the formal notice listing antitrust concerns could be sent as soon as the end of the year. The EU is probing whether Samsung violated agreements to license key patents to other mobile-phone manufacturers on fair terms. “We are dissatisfied every time that we see the launching of injunctions” involving standard-essential patents,” Almunia told reporters at a press conference in Brussels. “The injunctions in the Apple-Samsung case were launched; it was not only a threat.”