Comments on: EU hits Intel with $1.45 billion antitrust fine

Regulators say that the chipmaker "harmed millions of European consumers" by using anticompetitive measures intended to squeeze out rival AMD's processors.

[plan9os]

I hope Intel will double or triple it's prices for products and services in Europe, and pay the communists in Brussels with their own money. Leave Intel alone!

[martin1212]

So whether they actually did anything illegal or not is completely unimportant to you?

[freemarket--2008]

Actually, that would be great! AMD could ramp up production and grab some market share. :-)

[pokiri]

We need EU style systems here. Be it health care , socialism etc. 50 million americans without health care. Yet, people think USA is place where milk and honey flows. What a pity.

[freemarket--2008]

As long as it only comes from your paycheck. I don't work hard, exercise and eat right just to pay the hospital bills for burger-muching couch potatoes.

[LuvThatCO2]

You know what they say... if you cant beat them in the marketplace, buy off some politicians who will beat them for you. If these rebates were so successful, why didnt AMD just offer them too? Its not like we're talking a big-bad corporation vs a mom-and-pop store. These are two very well funded corporations. To go screaming to daddy EU is just pathetic on AMD's part.

Simple question. Does the EU ever consider ruling against ... oh I don't know a European company

[martin1212]

5 seconds googling says yes:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/index/by_event_recent.html

[green_red]

Maybe the better question is - Does EU ever consider ruling against billion-Euro+ companies. While the majority of the companies on the EC's antitrust list are Eurozone firms, their combined revenues wouldn't be even 10% of microsoft or intel.

I'm sure the US or anywhere else works the same way with the home team vs. the visiting teams. BTW AMD is based in the US but has 1000s of jobs at the Germany factories...

[LuvThatCO2]

Btw, does anyone actually believe this line:

" adding that the money would go to the EU's central budget, "thus reducing the contributions that Member States pay to the EU."

Is anyone (outside the EU and perhaps DC) foolish enough to think member state contributions will go down? Cha, right.

[mssoot]

The really unfortunate part of this is it's too late for AMD already

[Zupek]

HOLY CRAP, a GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY HELD SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE?! Now if only the US could do that instead of giving them billions of tax payers dollars!

[Vegaman_Dan]

The EU gets its funding from the member countries.

The economy in Europe is currently suffering, and it is getting much harder to meet the EU's operating budget.

The EU fines Intel a record amount, higher than they have ever done before.

The fine money will go to the EU's general/central budget and not to the member countries.

That right there tells you all you need to know about what the EU is about and who they represent. It's all about the money.

[freemarket--2008]

I seem to recall that this case started before the economy went to hell. Nice try tho.

[spoonie1972]

"If AMD wanted the money they shouuld have filed a civil suit."

If AMD wanted the money, they should have made better chips.

[queticomn]

aMD^ got game? "the future is fusion"

[kakphoto]

To those who say the EU is bad, If the US court system had a backbone then this wouldn't be an issue.
Microsoft and Intel have been in bed together for over 20 years. Both have been been violating Antitrust Laws in the US for many many years. In fact Microsoft brided the US Govt., that how they won their case several years ago.
Also just think about this: AMD has had very good performing 64bit chips for many years which they created themselves (of course they hired many ex-Digital engineers when Digital closed) and even though Intel Stole (ok bought) the Alpha chip from Compaq, they still haven't really made a 64bit chip that can work.

[green_red]

Yep, and wonder of wonders AMD started gaining market share. In fact, their capacity was completely utilized to the point that they started cannibalizing some of their older customers to gain new customers (Dell etc).

I also struggle with the EU's reasoning - they state Intel kept the incentives "hidden" and out of the contracts. So what "proves" this was happening then? Random internal e-mails at customer purchasing departments? ("Dude - if we buy fewer AMD parts and more Intel parts maybe Intel will give us a bigger discount - Cool!"). Intel sales peeps may not have had anything to do with it.

Was this a top-down corporate-level push to do this kind of sales - that's what I would like to know, and would be the only thing that would begin to justify this kind of a fine.

[totalgreen]

Intel should countersue for the billions in profits businesses and consumers had as a result of the productivity they acheived using computers with Intel chips installed. The piles of requested documents would run into years of research and cost them a bundle.

[freemarket--2008]

You don't get the whole concept of buying/selling do you? Once you purchase something, you own it and can do what you like. The former owner has no further claims. Back to school for you.

[e_chappuis]

@pentest

Thanks man, I totally agree.
You just put the right way: - "MS and Intel are illegal monopolies. Just because the Bush administration refused to hold them accountable to the law, doesn't change anything.... If these companies don't want to get fined, the solution is simple. Act in a legal and ethical manner.-

Now there's a little catch there, and it bothers me to think about who who will pay the fine? Wether in M$ or Intel case? Well, it won't be M$ or Intel, not exactly, not really.

Who will really pay the fine is every one of us customers who will buy a machine with an "Intel Inside" + XP/Vista/Win7 logo sticker on it. Yes, us all... lol ... think about it!

The heap of money these companies earn is our money, Ok we got the goods but it's our money...

It's like the story about the governement spending money, it seems it's its own money. Neny, the govt does'nt have much of a dime... it's all our money, us taxpayers that the govt. is spending at it's own will!!! ... think about it too!

[sugman51]

Intel did nothing wrong!!!!
They are being accused for doing whole sale discounts to computer makers!!!!!
Think of it this way, if HP buys 1,000 quad cores they are $200 each. But if HP buys 100,000 they are $100 each or say 200,000 they are $75 each.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SELLING THINGS AT WHOLESALE PRICING!!!!!!
THE EU IS JUST BIAS, AND HATE BIG CORPORATIONS!!!!!!!!
AND THIS IS THE DEAL!!!!
INTEL ISN'T TRYING TO DESTROY AMD, BECAUSE INTEL NEEDS AMD FOR if Amd were no more, there would be no one to compare intel's cpu too.
Think about that!!!!

[naterandrews]

So Intel is punished for doing business? No one forced these PC makers to take the money, yet they did. Intel knows how to push it's business agenda, and is being punished for it. Nice..

[freemarket--2008]

Which part of illegal do you not understand? Not to mention it is unethical whether you understand it or not. It's not the rebates so much as the condition to not buy from AMD.

[Steven Maschmeyer]

So by fining Intel > 1B that improves our CPUs how?

More money for Government = less productivity. The money will be wasted. If anything, they should give the money to the consumer to buy more CPUs.

[hassan_bin_sober]

Who cares what some Eurotrash judge thinks. Screw em'

[Jimmu411]

Any idea when the EU is going to get around to fining deBeers for their anti-competitive practices in the diamond market? Or is it only American Tech firms in their sights?

[BSinton]

The ignorance and stupidity of the american above, is very clear, calling the EU , communists .

Communism in Europe went out fashion about 20 years ago.
The Berlin Wall coming down , Poland , Romania etc throwing out the Communists.

They will not even be aware the USSR collapsed then as well, No more communism in Russia or the republics of the former USSR.

[navaid3]

There is no greater self deception than a slave falsely believing he is free. You guys just don't get it. "Communism" failed. It's been repackaged...it's called the EU.
My inquiries into the subject causes me to conclude: Communism is a conspiracy of the super rich to consolidate their wealth and subjugate the masses. Over here we call it the New World Order. We apparently don't get it either.

[mupptasstic]

I hope Intel will double or triple it's prices for products and services in Europe, and pay the communists in Brussels with their own money. Leave Intel alone!"

Yes "communists"....maybe a few scientologists in their too or Realians....I can't role my eyes enough