In 2009, the European Commission fined Intel 1.06 billion euros due to allegations of unfair competition practices. Between 2002 and 2007, Intel, a leading chip manufacturer, granted discounts to computer makers including Dell, Lenovo, HP, and NEC.
The stipulation for these discounts was that these companies should limit their dealings with AMD, a direct competitor of Intel.
The General Court, under the Court of Justice of the European Union, reviewed this penalty in 2022 and determined that the European Commission's analysis in 2009 was insufficient. The Commission had not adequately demonstrated the anti-competitive implications arising from Intel's discounting agreements.
While the General Court annulled the original fine, the European Commission continued to assert that Intel's actions were anti-competitive. In light of this, a revised fine of EUR 376 million was imposed on Intel, targeting specific breaches of rigorous competition norms in the European Union, particularly those related to anti-price-fixing measures among corporations.
Separately, the European Union is contesting the 2022 ruling of the General Court, meaning the newly established fine is independent of the current appellate process.
Subsequent to this, in 2022, Intel pursued legal action against the European Commission. They are aiming to recover over half a billion euros as interest on the initial fine of 1.06 billion euros that had been previously settled.
