EU thumps Intel with more anti-AMD charges

Abusive conduct threesome

By Ashlee Vance in Santa Clara • Get more from this author

Posted in PCs & Chips, 17th July 2008 19:07 GMT

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It's true. The European Union has thrown a new set of anti-trust allegations at Intel.

Earlier this week, rumors swirled that the EU would spring into action, adding charges to a European Commission investigation against Intel that's been going since 2001. Now the extra charges have arrived, with EU regulators accusing Intel of three new bits of "abusive conduct" designed to wound AMD's place in the x86 processor market.

"First, Intel has provided substantial rebates to a leading European personal computer (PC) retailer conditional on it selling only Intel-based PCs," the EU said in a statement. "Secondly, Intel made payments in order to induce a leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to delay the planned launch of a product line incorporating an AMD-based CPU. Thirdly, in a subsequent period, Intel has provided substantial rebates to that same OEM conditional on it obtaining all of its laptop CPU requirements from Intel."

This latest regulatory dish will only slow down the anti-trust case against Intel. The company has eight weeks to respond to the fresh charges and will then have the opportunity to take part in an oral hearing on the matter.

After all that, "the Commission may decide to require Intel to cease the abuse and may impose a fine."

Intel, of course, faces an anti-trust suit from AMD here in the US and is under investigation by the New York Attorney General's office and South Korean regulators.

We're awaiting an official statement from Intel on the latest charges. Up to this point, the company has denied all wrongdoing in the various matters.

The Register is currently involved in a legal action, seeking to make Intel reveal more information related to its US anti-trust proceedings.®

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