The EC competition authorities have added fresh charges to their long-running complaint against Intel. In a letter to Intel, the EC said that the new charges are that:

1. Intel gave computer retailer MediaMarkt substantial rebates for it selling only Intel-based PCs.
2. Intel paid a manufacturer to delay introducing an AMD range of processors
3. Intel gave rebates to the same manufacturer for buying all its laptop processors from Intel.

An EC statement says that the new evidence "reinforces the commission's preliminary view that Intel has infringed EU treaty rules on abuse of a dominant position with the aim of excluding its main rival."

The US news site Marketwatch quotes David Balto, an antitrust attorney in Washington, and a former Federal Trade Commission policy director, who said: "The complaint documents how Intel has used handcuffs to force manufacturers to use more costly and less efficient products."

Intel has eight weeks to reply and can ask for a hearing. If found guilty as charged, Intel may be ordered to alter its behaviour, or pay a fine up to 10 per cent of its $30bn+ revenues.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini has said that the worst that can happen is that Intel will have to 'write a cheque'. Intel's lawyer has accused the EC of selective use of evidence.

However Japan and Korea have already found Intel guilty of anti-competitive practices, and both the US Federal Trade Commission and the State of New York are also carrying out investigations into Intel's alleged anti-competitive prices.

The EC's new charges were announced yesterday, on the eve of Intel's 40th birthday. The company was incorporated on July 18th 1968.

See also: Electronics Weekly's Focus on Intel, a roundup of content on the chip giant's technology. As well as presenting news coverage from Electronics Weekly, we draw on wider resources available on the Web.

See also: Electronics Weekly's focus on x86 microprocessors, a roundup of content related to x86 microprocessor technologies and developments.

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