Intel fined $1.45 billion in antitrust case

[TheGhost]

So Intel has just been fined by the EU for a record €1.06 billion or $1.45 billion dollars due to violations of antitrust rules in Europe. This is even bigger than the €497 million fine originally levied against Microsoft.

The EU ruled that Intel illegally used hidden rebates to squeeze rivals out of the marketplace for CPUs: "Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years."

Intel was ordered to cease the illegal practices immediately and has three months from the notification of the decision to pay up. Of course, Intel will appeal and this will drag the litigation on for years as did Microsoft. The complaint was raised by AMD against Intel back in 2000.

Intel has issued a formal response to the ruling saying that the commission "is wrong and ignores the reality of a highly competitive microprocessor marketplace," and that its practices have caused, "absolutely zero harm to consumers." Oh, and it will appeal the decision.

Source (http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/13/intel-fined-1-45-billion-dollars/)

So, do you think that this fine is just? I think this and Microsoft being fined for bundling IE with Windows is a little bit ridiculous. Of course, there are others who feel that these sort of practices are highly illegal and unfair.

[paladin]

Fuck this,

[SnaFuBAR]

What the hell is wrong with these people? YOU CAN'T OFFER REBATES, WHY THAT WOULD BE LIKE OFFERING COUPONS TO GROCERY SHOPPERS!

[Amit]

Competition is competition. Business is business. Why should Intel be fined for using effective ways of upping the amp on their side of the competition against AMD?

[Timo]

I heard from a friend that Intel was paying business to not stock AMD, which isn't the nicest thing to do. Not nearly worth $1.5B though :|

[Hotrod]

I honestly don't see why they're fining Intel for this, there's nothing wrong with what they're doing.

[sdavis117]

I voted yes just to smite Intel.

But their shady business practices should have stopped long ago.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Though, intel and Nvidia pay game companies to make their games run better with there cards, eg: crysis/ Cod5

[Heathen]

Regardless of whether or not they should be able to do it or not, they got told to stop and didnt.

[InnerGoat]

That fine should have gone to AMD as they were the ones hurt, not consumers???

[Limited]

I had no idea AMD even existed in 2000, they definitely didnt have any stock in the shops I went into.

So maybe Intel did bully their way into business.

[Amit]

Regardless of whether or not they should be able to do it or not, they got told to stop and didnt.

Why should they stop if there was nothing wrong with it? They do it because they can. If AMD can't figure out a way to get retailers to sway the other way, then that's their problem.


That fine should have gone to AMD as they were the ones hurt, not consumers???

Yeah, I was wondering WTF when I read consumers were hurt. Consumers were having the time of their lives with such good products on the shelves without AMD garbage (back then) to skew their perceptions.

[Xetsuei]

AMD was always better than Intel up until the Core 2 era. Don't know why you're calling it "AMD garbage".

Intel from as long as I can remember always has used shady business practices and really sketchy means of getting people to buy their products. Intel has the better performing CPU's right now, but my respect always goes out to AMD.