Back in May, our colleagues at The Am Law Daily reported that the European Commission had hit chip-maker Intel with a record $1.45 billion fine for unfairly limiting competition with rival Advanced Micro Devices. On Monday the EC finally made the reasoning behind its decision public, releasing a “provisional nonconfidential version” of its May decision. (Since the nonconfidential version comes in at 517 pages, the Litigation Daily wonders how long the confidential version that the company received could possibly be.) For those of you who don’t have time to peruse 517 pages, here’s the EC’s summary of the decision.
AMD filed an action with the European Union’s Competition Directorate in 2001, alleging that Intel was offering rebates to computer makers who agreed to buy fewer rival products and delay product lines using competitors’ chips. Intel was formally charged with the violation last year. Lawyers from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher advised Intel on the case, according to The Am Law Daily. Intel filed an appeal to the EC’s decision with the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg in July with counsel from White & Case, Ashurst, and Brick Court Chambers.
