Intel Secures Major Victory as Top EU Court Annuls Billion-Euro Antitrust Fine

Intel secured a significant victory on Thursday in its protracted dispute with European Union competition regulators, as the EU’s highest court upheld a lower court’s decision to annul a billion-euro antitrust fine. The EU Court of Justice confirmed the cancellation of the penalty, initially imposed over a decade ago, by rejecting an appeal from the European Commission, the bloc’s top antitrust authority.

As stated in a press release summarizing the ruling, the court “rejects all of the grounds of appeal raised by the Commission.” Intel welcomed the judgment, expressing that it is “pleased with the judgment delivered by the Court of Justice of the European Union today and to finally put this part of the case behind us.”

Intel Faces Ongoing Battle

The dispute dates back to 2009, when the Commission fined the semiconductor giant 1.06 billion euros ($1.14 billion at current exchange rates) for allegedly using illegal sales tactics to exclude smaller rival AMD from the market. The fine was based on accusations that Intel leveraged its dominant position in the x86 microprocessor market to restrict competition through the use of rebates.

The chipmaker scored an unexpected win in 2022 when the EU’s General Court overturned the penalty, a decision now upheld by the Court of Justice. Nonetheless, the case remains ongoing, as Intel continues to challenge a separate 376.4 million-euro ($406.6 million) fine imposed last year regarding certain sales restrictions found unlawful in the 2022 ruling. Before the market opened on Thursday, shares of the semiconductor giant, based in Santa Clara, California, showed a slight uptick.

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