Corning offers Gorilla Glass concessions to settle EU’s antitrust case

Corning offers Gorilla Glass concessions to settle EU’s antitrust case

Gorilla Glass is used in many of the most popular smartphone offerings, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 (pictured). | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Gorilla Glass producer Corning has proposed several commitments in an attempt to settle an antitrust investigation initiated by the European Union. The bloc launched a probe into Corning on November 6th over concerns the New York-based company used exclusivity contracts to push out rival glass makers from the phone industry, allowing it to dominate the worldwide market for break-resistant Alkali-AS Glass.

According to the EU Commission’s press release, the remedies proposed by Corning include waiving all exclusivity clauses in its current agreements with phone companies and glass finishers, promising not to use such clauses again in future, and not forcing its customers to buy specific quantities of stock from Corning. Corning also committed to only enforce its patents related to break-resistant cover glass based on patent infringement and not breach of contract.

If accepted, the EU Commission says Corning’s changes will be applicable worldwide and remain in force for at least nine years. During that time, Corning will be monitored by the EU to ensure ongoing compliance.

Outside parties have six weeks to challenge the commitments, which could change before they’re officially accepted by the EU. If Corning fails to live up to its commitments, the company could face fines of up to 10 percent of its worldwide turnover, or about $1.25 billion based on its 2023 financial results. Apple reached a similar deal with the EU in July to settle an investigation into third-party contactless payments.