[Discussioni] Intel multata dall'UE

[Francesco Potorti`]

Intel guilty. Fined ¤1.06 billion by EU
Monopoly Fail. Do not pass go,do not collect ¤200
By Sylvie Barak
Wednesday, 13 May 2009, 11:11 THE VERDICT IS IN, and Intel has been found 
guilty as charged by the EU for abusing its dominant market position, with 
the chipmaker being fined a whopping ¤1.06 billion.

The EU said Chipzilla had violated EC Treaty antitrust rules under Article 
82, abusing its dominant market position "by engaging in illegal 
anticompetitive practices to exclude competitors from the market for 
computer chips called x86 central processing units (CPUs)".

The EU commission said it had found Intel guilty of two kinds of nefarious 
illegal practice, the first of which was giving "wholly or partially hidden 
rebates to computer manufacturers on condition that they bought all, or 
almost all, their x86 CPUs from Intel", whilst the second was Intel's direct 
pay-offs to OEMs to stop or delay the launches of competitor products.

The commission said it also found Intel guilty of making "direct payments to 
a major retailer on condition it stock only computers with Intel x86 CPUs," 
saying that these moves "effectively prevented customers - and ultimately 
consumers - from choosing alternative products".

"By undermining its competitors' ability to compete on the merits of their 
products, Intel's actions undermined competition and innovation" said a 
commission press release.

Along with the ¤1.06 billion fine, Intel has been ordered to stop its 
antitrust behavior immediately and told the Commission will actively monitor 
its compliance. The fine is equivalent to $1.44 billion, a very hard smack 
to Intel's bottom, considering the firm had $3.5 billion in cash on their 
balance sheet at the end of Q1.

Giuliano Meroni, AMD's EMEA president, told the INQ "The EU decision will 
shift the power from an abusive monopolist to computer makers, retailers and 
above all consumers".

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1137311/intel-guilty-fined-eur1-06-billion-eu