Qualcomm is calling out Arm for what it sees as a major shift in strategy
Qualcomm has filed complaints with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the European Commission and the Korea Fair Trade Commission, alleging that Arm is abandoning its long-standing open licensing model in favor of a more restrictive, anti-competitive approach.
According to the chip company, Arm has traditionally operated an open and non-discriminatory licensing structure for over three decades, allowing a broad range of companies to access its chip technology on equal terms. Qualcomm now claims that Arm is moving to limit access to its IP in order to develop and sell its own chips —putting it in direct competition with its licensees.
The dispute has surfaced amid an ongoing legal battle between the two companies. During the recent Arm v. Qualcomm trial, Qualcomm’s legal team introduced a strategic document written by Arm CEO Rene Haas and presented to the company’s board. The document reportedly outlined a vision for Arm to begin designing its own chips.
When questioned about the strategy in court, Haas stated that Arm does not currently manufacture chips but emphasized the need to plan for the future.
Reports suggest Arm is exploring the development of proprietary chips, with Meta mentioned as a potential early customer. Like other hyperscale companies, Meta is investing in custom AI chips to reduce dependence on high-cost GPU suppliers like Nvidia.
