No. the problem here wasn't that Apple was a tough negotiator, but that it also lied to regulators around the world that QCOM violated their FRAND obligation by

No. the problem here wasn't that Apple was a tough negotiator, but that it also lied to regulators around the world that QCOM violated their FRAND obligation by overcharging. The FTC obviously had no such proof that QCOM was "overcharging" or breached their FRAND obligation, so instead they used the euphemism like "elevated fee" to describe QCOM's licensing practice. In other regulatory investigation, QCOM wasn't even allowed full access to Apple's false testimony (eg, rebates for exclusivity or Apple's switch to Intel), much less representation to respond to its accusation.