
Intel Incurs Yet Another EU Antitrust Penalty Despite Last Year's Court Victory
INTEL CORPORATION
Intel Corporation is a multinational technology business based in Santa Clara, California. The world's largest semiconductor chip producer by revenue, it developed the x86 series of instruction sets used in most personal computers (PCs).
Intel, headquartered in Delaware, was No. 45 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of the largest US firms by revenue from 2007 to 2016.
- Intel supplies microprocessors to Acer, Lenovo, HP, and Dell. Motherboard chipsets, network interface controllers, integrated circuits, flash memory, graphics chips, embedded CPUs, and other communications and computer equipment are also made by Intel.
- Intel (integrated and electronics) was created on July 18, 1968, by semiconductor pioneers Gordon Moore (of Moore's law) and Robert Noyce (1927–1990) under Andrew Grove's supervision. Intel fueled Silicon Valley's high-tech growth. Noyce invented the integrated circuit (the microchip).
- SRAM and DRAM memory chips were Intel's mainstay until 1981. Intel built the first commercial microprocessor chip in 1971, but the PC's popularity made this its primary business.
ALSO, READ: Intel Reduces Employee and Executive Compensation Due to PC Market Decline
Intel's 1990s chip architecture investments boosted computer industry growth. Intel dominated PC microprocessors. It was known for using brutal and anti-competitive tactics to protect its market dominance, especially against AMD, and fighting Microsoft for PC industry control.
Intel's Open Source Technology Center supports PowerTOP, LatencyTOP, Wayland, Mesa, TBB, and Xen.
Intel overturns $1.2 billion EU antitrust fine
Intel could get hit with another EU antitrust fine, even though it won a court case against a EUR 1.06 billion (nearly Rs. 14,250 crore) fine for hurting a competitor 14 years ago. The US chipmaker said this in a regulatory filing.
Last year, Intel persuaded the second-highest court in Europe to overturn the fine imposed by the European Commission in 2009 for providing rebates to four computer manufacturers to encourage them to purchase most of their chips from Intel rather than rival Advanced Micro Devices.
The EC reopened its administrative procedure to determine a fine against Intel in January 2023 based on the alleged conduct, the company claimed in a January 26 filing. 'The General Court's January 2022 decision did not annul the EC's 2009 finding that Intel made payments to prevent sales of specific rival products,' the company stated.
We cannot estimate the possible loss or range of damages, if any, that might result from this action because of the procedural posture and the nature of the process, the statement added.
Companies that violate EU antitrust laws risk receiving fines of up to 10% of their global sales.
After publishing a lower-than-anticipated sales projection caused by a loss of market share to competitors and a decline in the PC industry, Intel recently announced significant pay cutbacks for employees and executives.
Mid-level staff will have a base pay reduction of 5%, while Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger will see a salary reduction of 25%.
However, according to a person knowledgeable about the situation who was not authorised to talk publicly, the corporation clarified that there would be no salary reduction for its hourly staff.
The adjustments 'are designed to touch our executive population more significantly and will assist fund the investments and overall workforce,' according to Intel spokesman Addy Burr in a statement.