Intel denied oral hearing

The latest update in the long-running European Commission anti-trust case against Intel has the chipmaker finally responding to the Supplementary Statement of Objections (SSO) filed by the EU in July. Intel has confirmed it made a response on February 5th but has been declined an opportunity to immediately defend itself in an oral hearing. The rejection comes after the company had failed to provide a response for seven months since the July start of the case and had been denied further delays.

Intel has claimed the delay is necessary to obtain additional documents from AMD that would reportedly prove that it was acting in good faith. Seven such documents were produced, but the firm was denied the rest and was pressed to make its response on February 5th.

Intel is in court after the European Commission asserted last year that the semiconductor producer planned to oust competitor AMD from the European market by pricing its chips at levels below those AMD could sustain as well as by offering vendors incentives to remove AMD-powered systems from their rosters.

The next step is currently uncertain, though the Commission will review Intel's response and make a decision whether to "properly conduct the administrative procedure" in the antitrust case. If Intel is found guilty of abusing its monopoly, it could be forced to pay fines amounting to as much as 10 percent of its annual income.

By Electronista Staff