Intel's offices in Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy were raided
by EU competition officials yesterday as part of an ongoing
antitrust investigation sparked by complaints from rival chip
makers AMD and Via Technologies, according to reports.
It was in 2001 that the European Commission began examining the
complaints against Intel. Taiwan’s Via Technologies and
California’s Advanced Micro Devices alleged anti-competitive
loyalty rebates and exclusive distribution agreements with PC
manufacturers and retailers.
In March this year, Japan's competition watchdog issued a
warning to Intel for anti-competitive practices, again in response
to AMD's protest. AMD is now suing Intel in Japan for violations of
Japan’s Antimonopoly Act, and in the US, alleging that Intel
illegally coerced computer makers away from AMD.
The Associated Press notes that European offices of companies
that make computers with Intel products were also raided yesterday,
including Dell's. Further details of the searches have not been
disclosed.
Disclaimer: We hope you find OUT-LAW’s content useful. It’s prepared by the lawyers at Pinsent Masons. Please remember, though, that it’s intended as general information only. It’s not legal advice. If that’s what you’re seeking, please
contact us. See also: our
full disclaimer
