EU charges Corning with antitrust violations over Gorilla Glass dominance

Corning's Gorilla Glass is found in countless tech products, from smartphones and wearables to automobile windshields, and the European Commission has an inkling its success is due in part to the US-based business cutting anticompetitive deals. 

The EC announced a formal antitrust investigation into Corning yesterday, accusing the company of abusing its dominant position as a maker of glass screens for mobile electronics, claiming the end result was the exclusion of rival glass manufacturers from the market.

The strategy ultimately caused consumers to pay higher prices, has made repairs tougher and reduced manufacturer innovation, the EC argued. 

"It is very frustrating and costly experience to break a mobile phone screen," said EC competition chief Margrethe Vestager. "Therefore, strong competition in the production of the cover glass used to protect such devices is crucial to ensure low prices and high-quality glass.

"We are investigating if Corning, a major producer of ...