Europe's highest court strikes down antitrust case against Intel for good

ECJ dismisses Intel's antitrust case, affirming the annulment of a $1.1 billion fine.

: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld a decision clearing Intel of antitrust charges, canceling a $1.1 billion fine. This ruling marks the end of a 20-year legal battle concerning Intel's use of conditional rebates with PC manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo. In 2022, the General Court had already overturned the EU Commission's fine, with the ECJ's latest judgment supporting this move. However, Intel still faces a $400 million fine for separate anticompetitive practices known as 'naked restrictions'.

The European Court of Justice has canceled a $1.1 billion fine against Intel, marking the end of a lengthy antitrust case. The decision favors Intel by supporting the annulment made by the EU General Court, which previously reversed the fine imposed by the European Commission in 2009 for alleged abuse of dominant market position.

Intel was accused of incentivizing manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo through conditional rebates to favor its processors, impacting AMD's market prospects. While the ECJ dismissed the Commission's appeal on these charges, they acknowledged that Intel engaged in 'naked restrictions,' resulting in a separate $400 million fine that Intel did not contest.

This legal journey regarding conditional rebates began two decades ago, with a significant twist in 2022 when the General Court sided with Intel. The ECJ's final ruling reflects a failure in the economic analysis by the European Commission to substantiate claims against Intel, except for the uncontested practices.

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