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Antitrust suit carries on against Intel, Apple, Google and others

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:48:00 EST

They can hope and pray all that they want, but Google, Intel, Apple, Adobe, Intuit, Pixar and Lucasfilm will soon be facing some serious accusations in a courtroom under the Sherman Antitrust Act and California's Cartwright Act. After years of trying to dodge legal action over an "informal agreement" to not pinch each others employees, and an effort to have the case dismissed, the seven defendants will have to stand trial as ordered by District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. In her decision Koh said, not only was there evidence that these agreements were made at the highest levels of the company but, that six such deals were struck in secret in such a short time frame "suggests that these agreements resulted from collusion." There's still time for yet another deal to be struck, however, this time between the defendants and the DOJ. Otherwise it looks like all seven will have to stand trial in June of 2013.

Antitrust suit carries on against Intel, Apple, Google and others originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel settles antitrust lawsuit with New York attorney general, pays hardly anything

Amar Toor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:46:00 EST

Intel's three-year tussle with the state of New York finally came to an end yesterday, with a settlement of relatively harmless proportion. Under the arrangement, Intel will have to shell out a mere $6.5 million to resolve a 2009 antitrust lawsuit filed by then-attorney general Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who has since ascended to the seat of governor, had accused the chipmaker of intimidating PC manufacturers and handing out billion-dollar kickbacks, as part of what he called a "systematic worldwide campaign" to assert its market dominance. The case has since been helmed by Cuomo's successor, current attorney general Eric Schneiderman, but its sails lost a lot of wind when U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark barred the state from seeking triple damages, limiting its claims to a three-year period, rather than the four-to-six that the state had been pursuing. As a result, Intel suffered only the slightest of financial blows.

According to Reuters, the $6.5 million sum represents just five hours worth of profit for the company, which reported a net income of nearly $13 billion last year. Intel was pleased with the news, pointing out that the agreement doesn't require it to admit any wrongdoing. Schneiderman, on the other hand, seemed notably less enthusiastic, with office spokeswoman Jennifer Givner telling reporters that the state's lawyers still think they have a case against Intel, but "in light of the court's decision believe that no purpose is served by pursuing the matter further."

Intel settles antitrust lawsuit with New York attorney general, pays hardly anything originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOJ investigation yields fresh evidence against Google, Apple in antitrust lawsuit

Amar Toor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:27:00 EST

Back in 2009, a small controversy began swirling around Google and Apple, amid allegations that the two companies had struck an informal agreement to not poach each other's employees. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the matter in 2010, but details of the case were only made public for the first time yesterday. TechCrunch was the first to sift through the documents, and has uncovered some ostensibly incriminating evidence against not only Google and Apple, but Pixar, Lucasfilm, Adobe, Intel, and Intuit, as well. According to filings from the US District Court for the Northern District of California, these companies did indeed enter "no poach" agreements with each other, and agreed to refrain from engaging in bidding wars. The documents also suggest that they collectively sought to limit their employees' power to negotiate for higher salaries.

Some of the most apparently damning evidence derives from archived e-mails, including one that Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen penned to Steve Jobs in May 2005. In the message, sent under the subject "Recruitment of Apple Employees," Adobe's SVP of human resources explains that "Bruce and Steve Jobs have an agreement that we are not to solicit ANY Apple employees, and vice versa." Pixar's Lori McAdams expressed similar sentiments in an internal e-mail from 2007, writing: "I just got off the phone with Danielle Lambert [of Apple], and we agreed that effective now, we'll follow a Gentleman's agreement with Apple that is similar to our Lucasfilm agreement." This would suggest, as the DOJ writes, that there's "strong evidence that the companies knew about the other express agreements, patterned their own agreements off of them, and operated them concurrently with the others to accomplish the same objective." The DOJ announced in September that it had reached settlements with the six implicated firms, but a class-action lawsuit is scheduled to get underway next week in San Jose.

DOJ investigation yields fresh evidence against Google, Apple in antitrust lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel and FTC settle charges of anticompetitive conduct

Donald Melanson — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST

It's been quite a stretch since the Federal Trade Commission first investigated and then ultimately sued Intel for alleged anticompetitive conduct, but the saga has now come to a close -- the two parties today announced a settlement of the charges. While that's no doubt better than some of the alternatives for Intel, it's hardly getting off easy -- the settlement prohibits Intel from paying computer makers to buy its chips exclusively or to refuse to buy chips from others, and bans it from retaliating against other computer makers if they do business with non-Intel suppliers. What's more, the settlement also requires Intel to modify its intellectual property agreements with AMD, NVIDIA, and VIA to give those companies "more freedom to consider mergers or joint ventures with other companies, without the threat of being sued by Intel for patent infringement," and it requires that Intel maintain the PCI Express Bus interface "in a way that will not limit the performance of graphics processing chips" for at least six years, among some other stipulations. For Intel's part, it notes that it hasn't admitted to any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement, and says that the move allows it "to put an end to the expense and distraction of the FTC litigation." Head on past the break for the full FTC press release.

Continue reading Intel and FTC settle charges of anticompetitive conduct

Intel and FTC settle charges of anticompetitive conduct originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell hit by Intel's antitrust aftershocks, prepares for $100 million settlement

Sean Hollister — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:57:00 EST

Hounded by international antitrust allegations, Intel fired an initial $1.25 billion salvo's worth of settlement last year, but now Chipzilla's biggest distributor of silicon is feeling the heat as well. Dell publicly announced it has set aside a $100 million reserve fund to head off investigations at the pass with a potential settlement of its own. While the company doesn't admit wrongdoing, it recognizes "alleged violations of negligence-based fraud provisions," also known as accepting Intel's controversial chip rebates without reporting them to the government. Dell's actually been under SEC investigation since 2005 for accounting-related transgressions and the company now hopes to tie up all loose ends at once -- here's hoping we see cheaper Core i7-infused laptops whether or not execs pull it off.

Dell hit by Intel's antitrust aftershocks, prepares for $100 million settlement originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Podcast 195 - 05.07.2010

Trent Wolbe — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:22:00 EST

You'd think that Michael Gartenberg would bring a tone of civility to the Engadget Podcast, but his practical approach to tech thought simply causes rage in the hyper-inflated egos of Josh and Nilay, who both live in a world where teenagers simply do not exist. Don't miss it.

NOTE: We had a few recording issues, please bear with us. They won't kill you. But if they do, don't say we didn't warn you.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel
Special guest: Michael Gartenberg
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Rock And Roll All Night

Hear the podcast

00:01:30 - Microsoft Kin One and Two review
00:05:00 - Kin available online starting tomorrow, in Verizon stores on May 13
00:30:00 - Survey says: most teens don't have a data plan, almost all send texts
00:40:00 - Confirmed: BlackBerry two-way sync for Gmail is now live
00:48:05 - Intel's Atom Z6xx series isn't targeting Windows Phone 7, but 'full Windows experience' still an Atom priority
00:53:00 - Intel reaches for the 'smartphone zone' with Moorestown-based Atom Z6, comes up shorthanded
00:58:25 - Apple under preliminary antitrust investigation over iPhone, triggered by complaint from Adobe
01:15:40 - Engadget wins the People's Voice Webby in Consumer Electronics, and you can win a Droid Incredible!

Subscribe to the podcast

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Download the podcast

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Contact the podcast

1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Podcasts, Wireless, Internet

Engadget Podcast 195 - 05.07.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FTC won't ask Intel to break up

Donald Melanson — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:19:00 EST

The Federal Trade Commission may have a pretty big beef with Intel, but it looks like won't be going as far as to seek a breakup of the company. That word comes straight from the director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, Richard Feinstein, who flatly told reporters yesterday that the FTC has "no goal of breaking up Intel." In case you missed it, this follows a lawsuit that the FTC filed against Intel earlier in the day yesterday, which alleges that the company has engaged in "anticompetitive tactics." As you can see above, NVIDIA has already responded to that development in its usual manner.

[Image courtesy Intel's Insides / NVIDIA]

FTC won't ask Intel to break up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FTC sues Intel for alleged monopoly abuse

Paul Miller — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:41:00 EST

Here we go, folks. FTC is suing Intel for what it sees to be "anticompetitive tactics." The FTC has been circling this debate since last year, but now it has followed in the steps of the EU, and the New York attorney general (but no longer a cash-flush AMD) in prosecuting the chip giant. The FTC claims, among other things, that Intel has abused its monopoly position to "[wage] a systematic campaign to shut out rivals' competing microchips by cutting off their access to the marketplace." Tough words. The FTC says that Intel messed with a compiler to cheat competitors out of performance gains, has "stifled innovation" and "harmed consumers." The damages the FTC is after are a bit less clear: mainly it wants to stop Intel from keeping out competition or building or modifying its own products to impair the performance of other products. We'll be diving into the implications of this as we find out more, but it looks like Christmas came early for NVIDIA.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

FTC sues Intel for alleged monopoly abuse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel forks over the $1.25 billion settlement to AMD, apparently had it 'just laying around'

Paul Miller — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:49:00 EST

Remember that time you owed your buddy for the take out and then you found $20 in the couch? This is kind of like that. Except instead of "take out" we're talking "accusations of anticompetitive practices and stolen IP," and instead of "$20" we're referring to the $1.25 billion check that Intel just shot into the arm of AMD, as per agreement. Intel certainly isn't out of the woods yet with this anticompetitive stuff, but with the biggest CPU monkey off its back and some fancy patent cross-licensing between the companies, we should hopefully see the benefits of this in better and faster chips from both chip giants in the somewhat distant future.

Intel forks over the $1.25 billion settlement to AMD, apparently had it 'just laying around' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FTC moseys into Intel / NVIDIA dispute

Donald Melanson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:22:00 EST

The dispute between Intel and NVIDIA has already reached legendary proportions, and it looks like now even the FTC is getting involved as a result of its longstanding investigation into Intel regarding another matter. While Intel just settled the antitrust fight with AMD that originally kick-started the investigation last month, the FTC is now reportedly talking to NVIDIA to see if its numerous complaints against the chipmaker actually hold water. While complete details are expectedly light and none of the parties involved are saying much on the record, some "people familiar with the matter" say that the FTC is trying to determine if a lawsuit filed by Intel earlier this year is nothing more than an effort to disrupt NVIDIA's business. Of course, things could well expand from there, considering what the FTC has waded into.

FTC moseys into Intel / NVIDIA dispute originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel shells out $1.25 billion to settle all AMD litigation

Darren Murph — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:38:00 EST

Intel sure sells a lot of chips, but man -- it sure blows a lot of that profit on lawyers. Just months after it got nailed with a $1.45 billion fine from the EU in an AMD antitrust case, nearly two years after AMD hit Intel with another antitrust probe and nearly 1.5 years after the FTC sparked up an investigation of its own, Intel has finally decided to pony up in order to rid itself of one of those back-riding monkeys. In an admittedly brief joint announcement released simultaneously by both firms today, Intel has agreed to cough up a whopping $1.25 billion in order to settle "all antitrust and IP disputes" with AMD. In fact, the pair went so far as to say the following:

"While the relationship between the two companies has been difficult in the past, this agreement ends the legal disputes and enables the companies to focus all of our efforts on product innovation and development."

Aside from AMD's coffers filling up with cash, the agreement also gives both firms patent rights from a new 5-year cross license agreement. Of course, we're betting that this isn't the end of this exceptionally bitter rivalry, and we highly doubt Intel wrote a check this large while grinning from ear-to-ear. That said, we're eager to see what AMD does with its newfound cheddar, and if we had our druthers, we'd sit back and watch it invest heavily into beating Intel to the punch with its next few platforms.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel shells out $1.25 billion to settle all AMD litigation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York attorney general files antitrust lawsuit against Intel

Nilay Patel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:09:00 EST

No matter how it tries, Intel just can't shake those pesky antitrust monkeys off its back: the attorney general of New York today filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the chipmaker, saying it unfairly prevented AMD from competing under state and federal law. That's pretty much what the EU just fined Intel $1.45b for in May and exactly what AMD itself is suing Intel for in Delaware, so we're guessing things are a little busy for Chipzilla's lawyers right now -- and it's just going to get worse, as the smart money says this is all just a precursor to the Federal Trade Commission dropping the hammer sometime soon. Hey, maybe this would be a good time to for Intel to distract everyone with some USB 3.0 chipsets?

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

New York attorney general files antitrust lawsuit against Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD 'breaks free', creates site dedicated to Intel's antitrust ruling

Ross Miller — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:36:00 EST

We knew AMD would be celebrating its victory over Intel and its record $1.45 billion fine doled out by EU over violation of antitrust rules, but we figured that just meant a very fancy cake and maybe a trip to the local zoo. Nay, we were mistaken, as the chip maker has gone all out in creating an entire website dedicated to its victory. "AMD Break Free" is pretty amazing in its thoroughness, and you'll find all kinds of court documents, press releases, explanations of antitrust laws, and even a news feed to follow further developments. Of course, Intel's appeal is a sure sign this case will be drag on for a very long time, possibly even become overturned, and none of this apparent gloating is gonna help one bit in getting the company back into the top ten rankings for chip manufacturers.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

AMD 'breaks free', creates site dedicated to Intel's antitrust ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 May 2009 21:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel fined record $1.45 billion in AMD antitrust case

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:32:00 EST

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,

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. Regardless, we'll bet that AMD, who raised the complaint against Intel back in 2000, will be celebrating come dawn in Sunnyvale.

Update: 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. Hurrah for corporate lawyers!

[Via Canada.com]

Intel fined record $1.45 billion in AMD antitrust case originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU expected to rule against Intel in AMD antitrust case: Microsoft points, afraid to laugh

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:57:00 EST

There are many tried and true methods for beating your competition in the free-market. Product innovation seems to work as does a proprietary ecosystem of peripherals, media, and services that keep customers locked-in for life. Or you can take Intel's approach: pay computer makers and retailers "to postpone or cancel" products containing CPUs from AMD, Intel's chief rival. That's the allegation it faces in the EU which, according to Reuters, has completed its antitrust investigation and is preparing to announce its decision on Wednesday. According to Reuters' sources, the European Commission will fine Intel for the violations discovered over the last eight years and order changes to Intel's business practices. It remains to be seen if the related fine exceeds the $655 million levied against Microsoft in 2004. But given the EU's distaste for anti-competitive practices, we're not expecting Intel to get off easy -- self-proclaimed "rock star" status or not.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

EU expected to rule against Intel in AMD antitrust case: Microsoft points, afraid to laugh originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 03:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU slaps Intel with three more antitrust charges

Nilay Patel — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:34:00 EST

Man, the EU is really not too fond of Intel, is it? Adding to all the other antitrust charges filed against the chipmaker, the friendly grey suits at the European Commission have slapped on an additional three: paying a "leading European retailer" not stock AMD products, giving incentives to PC makers to switch to Intel chips, and paying an unspecified company to delay the launch of an AMD-based product. For its part, Intel is reacting like it always does when the Europeans get prickly: by steadfastly denying everything. Intel has eight weeks to file a formal response, but as with all of these cases, we wouldn't expect a resolution any time soon.

[Thanks, Ricky]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

EU slaps Intel with three more antitrust charges originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel antitrust investigation officially launched by FTC

Paul Miller — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:56:00 EST

Intel is no stranger to antitrust problems, the company just got nailed with a $25 million fine in Korea, Europe's been breathing down its neck for years, and AMD has been trying to drum up antitrust accusations against Intel since time immemorial, but the FTC just embarked upon what could be Intel's biggest headache yet. The Federal Trade Commission has opened up a formal antitrust investigation of Intel, and has subpoenaed Intel, AMD and other smaller competitors for dirt on the company. Intel is being accused of using pricing policies designed to maintain a near-monopoly on the market, and while the company has been protected from a formal FTC inquiry by former head Deborah Majoras, the new chairman William Kovacic seems to see things a bit differently. A less formal review of the company has been ongoing since 2006.

Filed under: Desktops, Misc. Gadgets, Laptops

Intel antitrust investigation officially launched by FTC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel slapped with $25 million antitrust fine in Korea

Joshua Fruhlinger — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:05:00 EST

This is gonna leave a mark: Intel was just handed a $25 million slap on the wrist due to its questionable kickbacks to Korean computer manufacturers. The Korea Fair Trade Commission dropped the fine as punishment for the rebates Intel slipped to Samsung and Trigem in order to remain exclusive to its chips. Intel dolled out about $37 million in rebates -- under the guise of co-marketing campaigns -- over 2.5 years. While it is unclear whether or not Intel forced the manufacturers into any exclusive arrangement, it seems the commission believes such a clause was implied. Meanwhile, Intel is already under the European Union's microscope for the same practices. Intel plans to appeal the ruling, and adds, "We'll never do something that violates Korean law. We don't believe we have ever done that." While such practices remain under the legal radar here in the States, this practice isn't so kosher elsewhere.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel slapped with $25 million antitrust fine in Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel offices raided in Germany

Evan Blass — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:04:00 EST

As part of their investigation into the company's alleged abuse of its market position at the expense of rival AMD, EU competition regulators have raided chip giant Intel's offices in Munich, Germany, along with those of Metro AG-owned Media Markt and other unnamed PC retailers. The European Commission has been keeping a close eye on Intel since last summer, when the company was formally accused of offering rebates and making payoffs to customers and retailers in exchange for preferential treatment -- charges that Intel has repeatedly, although somewhat obtusely, denied. It's not clear at this point what material, if anything, was confiscated in these latest raids, which come exactly a month prior to a closed hearing the megacorp faces on this matter in Brussels.

[Via BBC]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel offices raided in Germany originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel takes an antitrust probe from AMD in New York

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:35:00 EST

In addition to laying down the smack, AMD and the office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just slammed Intel with an antitrust probe. Cuomo's office issued a "wide-ranging subpoena" on Thursday seeking documents and more information from Intel. The probe was launched after a preliminary probe "raised questions" about Intel coercing customers to exclude AMD CPUs.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Intel takes an antitrust probe from AMD in New York originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel (of course) fights back against EU's antitrust charges

Paul Miller — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:57:00 EST

This is all pretty standard procedure, and totally expected after the company's rebuttal this summer, but Intel is responding to EU's antitrust charges against them and will seek a hearing. The specific charges and Intel's response are still confidential, which means there aren't a lot of specifics about the mud slinging between these two, but the general thrust is that the EU thinks Intel is hurting competition and therefore consumers by offering chips below cost, and semi-bribing manufacturers to sell Intel exclusively. Obviously, Intel's saying it stuck to the law in this situation. Stakes are high, since the EU can fine companies up to 10% of global revenues, and it certainly looks like we're in for a protracted fight on this one.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel (of course) fights back against EU's antitrust charges originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korean investigation finds Intel violated antitrust laws

Donald Melanson — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:01:00 EST

It wasn't all that long ago that the European Commission slapped Intel with some fairly significant antitrust charges, and it now looks like South Korea is set to do the same. According to Business Journal, after a two-year investigation, the country's Fair Trade Commission has concluded that Intel did in fact violate South Korea's antitrust laws, in particular by offering rebates to computer makers in order to sway them away from rivals like AMD. While there's no word on what penalties Intel might face just yet, Business Journal is reporting that sanctions should be decided by the FTC by October.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

South Korean investigation finds Intel violated antitrust laws originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD's "Break Free" website targets Intel's business practices

Joshua Topolsky — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:05:00 EST

In the good-old-days, if a corporation felt it had been infringed upon or held back in some way, a team of lawyers, some damning evidence, and an attitude of righteous fury would be combined to get some "justice," and that would be that. But times have changed, and nowadays things tend to get a little more personal -- especially when it comes to Intel and AMD. The latest round of jabs traded between the two chip-makers comes from the beleaguered AMD camp, which has launched an entire website (using the unsubtle name "Break Free") dedicated to smack-talking Intel and its business practices. In particular, the site excitedly covers the recent antitrust charges brought against the company by the European Commission, and reiterates the popular AMD claim that Intel stifles competition and innovation by monopolizing the market. The website also details how the diabolical chip-manufacturer steals babies in the night, was responsible for the JFK assassination, and spits in your food when you're not looking.

[Via EETimes]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

AMD's "Break Free" website targets Intel's business practices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel responds to EU charges, deems actions 'beneficial' to consumers

Darren Murph — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:34:00 EST

Shortly after the European Commission issued a Statement of Objections against Intel asseverating that it used unfair and unlawful tactics against AMD, Intel has fired back a statement of its own in response. Put simply, Intel declared that it is "confident that the microprocessor market segment is functioning normally and that Intel's conduct has been lawful, pro-competitive, and beneficial to consumers." Furthermore, the company noted that while it would "certainly have preferred to avoid the cost and inconvenience of establishing that its competitive conduct in Europe has been lawful, the Commission's decision to issue a Statement of Objections means that at last Intel will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the allegations made by our primary competitor." Notably, the chip giant even mentions that the case is actually "based on complaints from a direct competitor rather than customers or consumers," and concludes by suggesting that when "competitors perform and execute, the market rewards them." Settle in folks, this one has just begun.

[Via TheRegister]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel responds to EU charges, deems actions 'beneficial' to consumers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Commission issues antitrust charges against Intel

Darren Murph — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:47:00 EST

Well they've been sniffing around the chip giant for quite some time now, but the European Commission has finally issued "formal charges against Intel for allegedly using illegal tactics against smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices," and according to a spokesperson for the EC, "the statement of objections has been sent." Supposedly, the EU's top antitrust regulator "has spent years investigating Intel's tactics to determine whether it acted unfairly to preserve its dominance over AMD," and now the time has finally come for the hammer to drop. Sadly, further details about the grievances have yet to be divulged, but we doubt Intel, who declined to comment on the situation, will be brushing this off its shoulders anytime soon.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

European Commission issues antitrust charges against Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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