Intel Sued For EUR1 Billion!!

The European Union badly needs money in this bad times. Now it resorts to suing Intel for anti-trust practices. The sum is not small these days.. A whooping EUR1 Billion!!

That alot of money we are talking about. Who is next to be sued? Apple? Google? and last but not least the favorite Microsoft!!

EU Fines Intel Corporation EUR1.06 Billion Over Sales Tactics, Company Says It Will Appeal-AP
Wednesday, 13 May 2009 06:31am EDT
AP reported that the European Union fined Intel Corporation EUR1.06 billion ($1.44 billion) on May 13, 2009, saying the computer chip maker used illegal sales tactics to shut out smaller rival AMD. The European Commission says Intel broke EU competition law by exploiting its dominant position with a deliberate strategy to keep AMD out of the market that limited customer choice. It is also ordering Intel to cease and desist some sales practices, but refused to say what those were. Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini said Intel would appeal to the EU courts because "the decision is wrong" and "there has been absolutely zero harm to consumers." Intel promised to comply with the EU order but criticized it as extremely ambiguous. The EU says Intel gave rebates to computer manufacturers Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and NEC for buying all or almost all their x86 computer processing units, or CPUs, from Intel and paid them to stop or delay the launch of computers based on AMD chips. Regulators said Intel also paid Germany's electronics retailer, Media Saturn Holding, which owns the MediaMarkt superstores, from 2002 to 2007 to only stock Intel-based computers.

EU May Fine Intel Corporation EUR1 Billion For Antitrust Violations-DJ
Tuesday, 12 May 2009 08:39pm EDT
Dow Jones reported that European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is seeking to fine Intel Corporation more than EUR1 billion ($1.36 billion) for breaking European antitrust rules, Bloomberg News reported on its Web site, citing a person with direct knowledge of the case. The fine, which would be a record, could be reduced, Bloomberg reported the person as saying. The fine could be changed because of its size and the nature of rebate-related antitrust cases, it said. The European Commission is due to make the ruling known, Bloomberg said.