Samsung has proposed a number of commitments to the European Commission to end the investigation into possible abuse of its dominant position in the smartphone market. Last December, the EC sent Samsung a statement of objections outlining its concerns that Samsung's conduct was anti-competitive. The main concern is the use of injunctions against competitors alleged to be infringing Samsung's intellectual property. Such a practice is considered anti-competitive when the patent in question was previously deemed essential to industry standards and Samsung committed to licensing the technology on Frand terms.
European commissioner Joaquin Almunia said that "after lengthy discussions, Samsung has sent us a set of commitments seeking to address our concerns". The EC plans to consult the market on Samsung's proposal before taking a decision on whether to make them legally binding on the company. Almunia said that if Samsung's commitments are found satisfactory, they could be used as a standard for the entire industry.
