Corning agrees to make Gorilla Glass accessible to competition

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The European Union has strengthened its antitrust scrutiny of Corning, the American manufacturer renowned for its Gorilla Glass, a staple in modern devices due to its durability and crack resistance. 

Earlier this month, the EU investigated whether Corning’s market practices, particularly its agreements with device manufacturers (OEMs) and glass finishers, have unfairly restricted competition. 

Regulators are concerned that these practices may have raised prices, limited consumer choices, and suppressed innovation, despite the technological advances driven by Corning’s dominance. 

Corning settles EU Gorilla Glass antitrust lawsuit with exclusive deals

Corning is facing potential penalties under EU competition laws, so it has proposed a series of global commitments to address these concerns.

Among the measures, Corning has committed to waive all exclusivity clauses in its existing contracts and refrain from including such clauses in future agreements with OEMs and finishers. 

It will no longer pressure glass finishers to source more than half of their demand for specific glass products from Corning, nor will it use pricing or contract terms to indirectly enforce such thresholds. 

For devices sold in the European Economic Area (EEA), OEMs will be free to source AAS glass from any supplier without penalties or losing pricing advantages.

Furthermore, Corning has committed not to leverage its patents on break-resistant glass to drive companies into exclusive agreements, limiting its patent claims to violation cases only.

To ensure transparency, Corning will communicate these changes directly to its partners in English and Mandarin, highlighting its commitment to fair practices. 

These commitments, which will remain in effect globally for nine years, will be monitored by a trustee who will report directly to the European Commission.

The Commission is now seeking stakeholder feedback on these proposals, with a six-week window for input. 

The commitments will be in effect for nine years and will be applicable globally. The penalties for breaking the rules may be as much as 10 percent of Corning’s global sales.

What do you think about this move from Corning? Do you think it’s enough for the EU to drop the investigation? We would love to hear more from you in the comments, down below, or via our Twitter or Facebook.