In 2009, Intel made headlines with a record fine, but in the end, they managed to avoid paying the penalty by being found innocent in the legal process. European Union antitrust regulators have now decided that Intel should pay a fine of $400 million in a new meeting.
European Union Sets New Fine Amount for Intel
Intel was fined 1 billion euros in 2009 for engaging in illegal practices to outperform its competitors in the processor market. Last year, the EU General Court overturned the original decision, stating that the Commission’s analysis of the rebates did not meet legal standards.
The European Union antitrust commission, consisting of 27 countries, announced that Intel had excluded its competitors by using discounts and sales restrictions. The company, accused of resorting to illegal methods to increase its dominance in the global market for x86 architecture, will once again be held accountable in court.
The EU General Court confirmed that the sales restrictions amounted to an abuse of Intel’s dominant position in the market. Since it couldn’t decide how the total fine should be divided between the two offenses, it ordered the commission to determine the new amount.
An EU observer commented on the decision, saying, “The lower fine awarded today reflects a narrower scope of violation compared to the 2009 Commission decision.” Intel’s European press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What are your thoughts on the fine set by the European Union commission? You can share your opinions in the comments section.
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