Intel fined record $1.45 billion in AMD antitrust case

engadget.com ^ | May 13th 2009 | Thomas Ricker

[paudio]

The verdict is in and it's huge. As expected, the EU is fining Intel a record €1.06 billion or $1.45 billion (Billion!) dollars due to violations of antitrust rules in Europe. The record fine surpasses that of 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. In a statement issued by European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the EC said,

[paudio]

I doubt AMD will see a cent of this, though.

[driftdiver]

Heck Intel stole technology from Digital and got away with it. I doubt they’ll actually pay any of this $$. Paying the EU isn’t a good thing IMO anyway.

[kittymyrib]

These EU pirates are shaking down U.S. companies for billions, while the Somali pirates only get millions. Our companies should boycott Europe.

[1010RD]

A non-crime. Intel made prices lower to consumers and that is bad?

[Vaquero]

Our companies should boycott Europe.

the messiah will tell companies who they can and cannot boycott....Obama is europe’s b!tch, and american business's super CEO(or so he believes).

[Red in Blue PA]

Being successful is a crime now apparently.

Disgusting.

Intel was one of the true innovators, always ahead of the game.

[Post-Neolithic]

Lower prices isn't bad. However Intel is a snake in the grass. They have screwed over customers more than once. First on the CPU problem that had a bad math processor(they refused to recall until the outcry became so bad they were on the brink of going belly-up), next when they made it possible for a hacker to get your personal information just my querying your CPU.

I haven't knowingly bought an Intel product in years.

[1010RD]

Absolutely correct.

We bemoan the lack of job creation at our largest firms, but it wasn't always the case. Big business could be the job creation engine that small business is. They are ideally suited for divisional experimentation and small business innovation (through funding/merging/etc.).

Why doesn't this happen?

Onerous taxes, regulations and a legal environment that rewards massively trivial harm and legal leechings.

[The Electrician]

The EU is little different from any other organized crime syndicate - they run their “protection rackets” on a massive scale...

[1010RD]

You are correct. But, we have a judicial framework to fight egregious harm. Plus, your post has brought the situation to my attention and the attention of every FReeper who reads it.

That is how the free market works. I am not a computer chip expert. I rely on them, someone like you possibly, to keep me on my guard. I am now on guard against Intel products. I will ask all my geek friends about it and assess the risk based on my feelings/the facts.

Look up “market mavens”. They are a tiny minority with an incredibly myopic focus, but they act as market makers/informants to protect the rest of us.

My point is individual liberty, of which a free market is fundamental (free as in you/your choice), works!

[LayoutGuru2]

Excellent tagline!

[DB]

Huh?

I don’t remember Intel ever on the “brink of going belly up” and any “personal information” security issues lie with software not the processor hardware even with the embedded hardware ID. Any number of hardware devices in your computer have a unique ID number from the flash BIOS storage devices on up.

AMD has not kept up with technology changes. Intel has significantly superior CPU’s these days even for gaming. You are welcome to pay more for less but I choose otherwise.

[DB]

Post-Neolithic is not correct.

[ShadowAce]

[Condor51]

I don't get this?

I have an AMD (Quad Core, 687GB - or something really geeky) in this pc and could have had the latest Intel (Pentium IX or something) for the same price. It was my choice -- click 'a' or 'b', have it made, then shipped.

[wolf78]

These EU pirates are shaking down U.S. companies for billions, while the Somali pirates only get millions. Our companies should boycott Europe.

Intel has a revenue of 30-40 billion a year, a quarter of that profits. So for the sake of argument let's say that's 8 billion (right now it's a bit less due to the economic crisis). For the sake of argument, let's also say that the European PC market is as big as the North American market (it should be slightly bigger) and that it's 25% of Intel's total sales (European Comission estimate ~30%).

In an average year, that would be 2 billion in lost profits. Of course, AMD would be thankful as they could take over the market in a heartbeat, especially as a large number of their CPUs is manufactured in Dresden.

[Post-Neolithic]

I love how the intel folks come on here and try to convince people I am wrong in my statements. Luckily, or un-lucky for them, I have plenty of proof.

Intel Math CPU problem

Intel's PSN Tech

Facts are wonderful things don't ya know.

[MrB]

Being successful is a crime now apparently.

Another thread yesterday was on 0bama's quote to investigate and punish companies that "improperly" control "too much" of the market for their product or service.

Of course, he and his bureaucrats will decide what is improper and too much, and it will heavily depend on how much they contribute to Democrat re-election.

[wolf78]

I have an AMD (Quad Core, 687GB - or something really geeky) in this pc and could have had the latest Intel (Pentium IX or something) for the same price. It was my choice -- click 'a' or 'b', have it made, then shipped.

The problem is that outfits like Media Markt sell a huge number of PCs to private customers in the EU. They almost exclusively promote Intel. Just like the special rebate Dell got from Intel in the US (they now do offer AMD chipsets, too).

[Travis T. OJustice]

Being successful is a crime now apparently.

Happened to Microsoft in the 90's too, and millions of people lost a ton of money because Clinton went after Microsoft.