Intel EULA License prohibits benchmarks on new Linux microcode Patches
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Paulo Narciso
LOL at this. So, they sell me the processor and they think they still own it.
Alessio1989
Disgusting.
PS: this kind of EULA do not have any legal effect in EU at all.
schmidtbag
I don't really see how Intel could possibly succeed by taking legal action with this new license. Most users have no idea that their microcode is updated, what it is updated to, and/or the fact it may come with an EULA. A lot of people can't control this update. So if they took someone to court over this, the hardware reviewer could be like "what EULA? I wasn't presented one and I didn't agree to it". Besides, plenty of people have benchmarked Intel's hardware on older microcodes. It doesn't take much effort for anyone to compare before and after results of microcode updates, even if they're not compared directly in the same article.
I also question if this EULA even has any power. I don't see how it's legal to silence individual/un-affiliated parties. Furthermore, couldn't Intel be counter-sued for what could be construed as "I paid for this CPU expecting a certain performance level, but I have to degrade that performance in order to remain secure".
As far as I'm concerned, this is nothing but a bluff. Maybe Intel knows this isn't going to work in their favor but they want to scare off people creating benchmarks.
Fox2232
Intel can try to even point finger at Red Hat, and they'll be in a lot of pain in server business.
schmidtbag
Even Phoronix is a bit risky. Intel gets a lot of positive attention there due to their contributions toward open-source projects. If Intel tries to punish them or stops giving away review samples, they're going to lose a lot of that publicity. Right now the Ryzen architecture is looking real good on Linux and FreeBSD (compared to Windows) so the last thing Intel needs is to give Linux users another reason to switch sides.
HWgeek
Is is just me or Intel makes AMD's life easier with EPYC line as time goes by?
cryohellinc
@INTEL
Before Microcode Performance was Better
After it became Worse
Bite me!
Valken
Seriously Intel doing all the marketing for AMD here... I smell a class action lawsuit coming to Intel trying to limit security fixes AFTER the user has purchased a flawed product.
Bring the lawyers... I would gladly take a refund on my CPU and give that money to AMD.
RzrTrek
Another shady business practice introduced by Intel.
HWgeek
Intel news keeps bringing a Smile to AMD's stock owners 🙂
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/AMD/?guccounter=1
schmidtbag
No - to my understanding, you're just not allowed to compare benchmarks of old microcode to new microcode.
Though honestly, when you compare the performance of Kaby Lake back when it was released compared to today's performance with all of the mitigations, it still doesn't look so great. Intel's IPC has suffered quite a bit, where AMD's is nearly on-par.
Wow that's quite the spike. Are we sure there isn't something else driving that? I find this EULA a little too obscure to be the culprit.
HWgeek
https://finance.yahoo.com/m/777f90a6-8ce8-37d7-b684-e7248731b097/analyst-says-market%E2%80%99s-top.html
And just look at the trading volume- its just opened and already on 39M when 69M it the avg.
southamptonfc
What a ridiculous thing to try to do. Do they really think this behavior is acceptable to enterprise customers?
Intel, you've raised a big red flag by appearing to try to cover up performance issues. Guess what the first thing we're going to do is when we get new OS patches?
lucidus
Let the benchmarks begin.
tunejunky
Intel, as a Californian company, should know better as this is patently illegal and unenforceable in California.
but like i've been moaning on about, Intel is run by the marketing folks who likely see (wrongly) this as a way to avoid embarrassment re: Epyc and Threadripper
tsunami231
what? they be trying to hide something wait what it new about that
I bet some where in that eula there is "you can have your cake, but you cant eat" too
Sunesha
Some overzealous legal guy wrote this in hope of paybump and is probably not having a calm day at work. I predict he forcefully will leave in his resignation. Or more likely to be send to the secret blue Ops team and have to come up with ideas that actually will work.
Seriously though, I predict that the friction this has created will result a updated EULA before next week. But at least intel showed its hand and have yet another spot on their honor.
Likely human error(mistake) will be blamed, even more likely we get new EULA without explanation what there plan or not was.
Karma is a bitch. Because this will most likely not be forgotten. Conspiracy theories, lies and truth will be just be normal noise over internet. If anyone truly knows they will be most likely to work at Intel.
I think this recent intel slip has been amusing.
Sorry for phone quality writing 😉
pimpineasy
Grab your tin foil
Angantyr
.... I can't imagine they would ever bother going after someone for publishing a benchmark. In any case, it looks super shady and all round awful on intel doing this.
Just let people publish the benchmarks ffs, otherwise it'll just fuel negative speculation. Morons.
RealNC
Intel behaving like scumbags? What a surprise.
