Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The EU General Court dealt a blow to the European Commission on Wednesday in reducing what was initially a record fine against US chipmaker Intel to 237 million euros ($276 million) — a quarter of the original sum. Brussels imposed an initial 1.06-billion-euro fine on the group in 2009, then a record amount, for abusing its dominant market position between 2002 and 2007 and attempting to drive its only serious competitor, AMD, out of the microprocessor market.
Intel has since engaged in lengthy legal proceedings to have the fine overturned. In 2022, it won its case when the General Court, based in Luxembourg, partially invalidated the penalty and ordered the Commission to reassess the total fine. In September 2023, Brussels set a new amount of 376 million euros. But the US group again appealed.
In the new ruling published Wednesday, the court said it had “substantially upheld the 2023 decision,” but reduced the fine to 237 million euros. The court justified the move citing, firstly, the “relatively limited number of computers” affected by certain restrictions Intel imposed on computer manufacturers such as Acer and Lenovo to hinder AMD. Secondly, it cited a 12-month interval between “some of the anti-competitive practices.”
© 2024 AFP
