Intel Triumphs In 15-Year Legal Battle, EU Court Rejects Record Antitrust Penalty

Intel Corp INTC secured a victory on Thursday when the European Union’s top court rejected the reinstatement of a €1.06 billion ($1.14 billion) fine.

The ruling concludes a long-standing case involving allegations of anticompetitive behavior in the computer chip market.

In January, Advocate General Laila Medina of the EU’s Court of Justice expressed in a non-binding opinion that the regulator’s attempt to overturn Intel’s previous court win should be dismissed, as they failed to demonstrate that Intel had abused its dominant position in the PC chip market to block competitors.

The European Commission initially imposed the record fine in 2009, accusing Intel of abusing its dominant position in the x86 central processing unit (CPU) market by paying manufacturers to delay or cancel the launch of products featuring rival chips.

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Additionally, the Commission alleged that Intel provided rebates to manufacturers on the condition that they primarily purchased x86 CPUs from Intel.

Intel appealed the decision, leading to a legal battle that spanned 15 years.

In 2022, the General Court of the European Union annulled the fine, ruling that the Commission’s antitrust analysis was insufficient and failed to prove the rebates had harmed competition, The Wall Street Journal reports.

In response, the EU imposed a minor fine of approximately €376.36 million and filed an appeal.

On Thursday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed the Commission’s appeal, making the decision final and unappealable.

Despite this victory, Intel still faces the minor fine imposed last year for allegedly paying manufacturers such as HP, Acer, and Lenovo between 2002 and 2006 to delay or block products with rival x86 CPUs. Intel is challenging the reduced fine.

Intel’s victory could not have been more well-timed as it awaits U.S. chip subsidies to develop the country’s semiconductor base.

Price Action: INTC stock is up 0.62% to $22.12 at last check Thursday.

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