European Commission to investigate Corning, known for Gorilla Glass on iPhones and Galaxy devices, for alleged antitrust violations
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The European Commission has announced that it has launched an antitrust investigation into Corning, a manufacturer of glass for smartphones, tablet PCs, and other devices, alleging that the company's Gorilla Glass has a monopoly on the mobile phone screen market.
Commission opens antitrust investigation into possible anticompetitive practices by Corning over cover glass for electronic devices | European Commission
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_5681
Corning faces antitrust actions for its Gorilla Glass dominance - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/11/corning-faces-antitrust-actions-for-its-gorilla-glass-dominance/
Corning facing EU antitrust suit over Gorilla Glass seals • The Register
https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/06/eu_charges_corning_with_antitrust/
Gorilla Glass is a tempered glass made from an alkali aluminosilicate material developed by Corning, which boasts strength said to be several dozen times that of plastic while maintaining high transparency. Due to its high resistance to impacts and scratches, Corning tempered glass, including Gorilla Glass, has a track record of being used as display glass for world-famous smartphones and tablet PCs, such as Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy series.
by Titanas
The European Commission alleges that Corning has maintained its market-leading position by requiring device makers to agree to 'source substantially all of their mobile phone display glass from Corning' and then offering them kickbacks.
Corning also allegedly asked device makers to report competing proposals, and exerted similar pressure on makers of Gorilla Glass that are used to make display protectors for mobile phones, not to file patent lawsuits against the company.
The European Commission stated that 'Corning's agreements with device and processors have excluded competing glass manufacturers from the market, thereby reducing customer choice, increasing prices, and potentially stifling innovation to the detriment of consumers around the world,' and notified the Commission that it was opening a formal investigation into Corning's alleged antitrust practices prohibited by Article 102 of the EU Treaty .
Margrethe Vestager, head of competition policy at the European Commission, said: 'Having a broken mobile phone screen is an extremely frustrating and costly experience. It is therefore vital that there is strong competition in the production of the cover glass used to protect these devices, to ensure low prices and high quality glass.'
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