Digital Home Thoughts: EU Tells Intel to Open Its Wallet

"The verdict is in and it's huge. As expected, the EU is fining Intel a record €1.06 billion or $1.45 billion (Billion!) dollars due to violations of antitrust rules in Europe. The record fine surpasses that of the €497 million fine originally levied against Microsoft. The EU ruled that Intel illegally used hidden rebates to squeeze rivals out of the marketplace for CPUs. In a statement issued by European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the EC said, Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years."

The EU trustbusters have been busy and Intel is their latest target. Is Intel guilty? I don't know enough about their business practices to say. But I do know that $1.45 billion is a HUGE number and Intel won't take this lying down. I wonder if their Office of General Counsel is hiring?