Intel, AMD settle suits

INTEL Corp is paying US$1.25 billion to Advanced Micro Devices Inc, its largest rival in the market for computer processors, to settle all antitrust and patent suits, the companies said yesterday.

Intel said it has agreed to abide by a set of "business practice provisions." AMD is dropping suits in the United States and Japan, and withdrawing complaints to antitrust regulators worldwide.

AMD has been complaining to regulators for five years that Intel has broken antitrust laws to curb AMD's share.

In May, the European Union fined Intel a record US$1.45 billion, and last year, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined Intel US$18.6 million. Intel is appealing both rulings.

In 2005, Japan's Fair Trade Commission found that Intel violated antitrust rules there. Intel accepted that ruling without admitting wrongdoing.

The US Federal Trade Commission also is investigating.

Intel has previously defended its sales practices - which include rebates to big Intel customers - as legitimate and good for customers because it can lead to lower prices.

Intel said the US$1.25 billion settlement means its spending in the current quarter will now be US$4.2 billion rather than US$2.9 billion it had previously forecast.

Email Story    Printable View    Blog Story    Copy Headline/URL