PC companies and PC dealers in Europe are said to be watching very closely the result of the EC's investigation into Intel's alleged malpractices in the European PC market. If , in the autumn, the EC decides against Intel, as it is rumoured in the German press that it will, then what may follow is a legal class-action brought by PC companies and dealers in
Many computer retailers have complained of losing money over the years as a result of Intel's attempts to control the PC industry aimed at keeping AMD's market share to a low level.
With the EC taking extensive evidence, over a period of several years, of Intel's business practices, then, following a determination of the investigation by the EC, the way could be open for anyone, or any company, who's lost money as a result of Intel's alleged malpractices, to sue Intel.
The damages in a class-action consisting of an agglomeration of such law-suits, could be enormous, because the evidence covers so many trading years.
Although Intel CEO Paul Otellini has taken a pretty jaunty view of the EC investigation in front of analysts, saying that the worst that could happen would be that Intel would have to write a cheque, a class action could be a stupendously huge cheque, dwarfing even the multi-billion dollar fine which the ECcould impose if it decides that Intel is guilty of anti-trust violations.
Which is why Europe's PC industry is watching the situation at the EC with very close attention.
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