Intel wins longstanding dispute with EU over billion-dollar fine

Intel has achieved a significant legal victory as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the EU competition authority cannot reimpose a fine of 1.06 billion euros against the company. This decision marks the end of an almost two-decade-long legal battle. The ECJ upheld the decision of a lower court, thereby rejecting an appeal by the European Commission. The Commission had imposed the fine in 2009, accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior in the computer chip market. The case dates back to allegations that the U.S. chipmaker Intel granted rebates to major computer manufacturers like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, and Lenovo, provided they primarily purchased Intel processors. The regulatory body argued that these rebates suppressed competition, particularly from Advanced Micro Devices. The European Commission imposed the record fine, accusing Intel of abusing its market position to influence manufacturers to delay or prevent the release of alternative products. Intel denied the allegations and initiated a 15-year-long legal dispute. With the current ECJ ruling, this chapter is now conclusively closed.