Intel Wins Legal Battle Against EU Regulators

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The EU Court of Justice, Europe's highest court, has ruled in favor of Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), concluding a nearly two-decade-long conflict between the U.S. chipmaker and EU regulators.

The European Commission had previously fined Intel for providing rebates to computer manufacturers such as Dell (NYSE: DELL), Hewlett-Packard Co, NEC, and Lenovo for purchasing the majority of their chips from Intel. Regulators alleged that this practice was an attempt to impede rival Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD).

Regulators typically oppose rebates from dominant companies due to concerns over potential anticompetitive behavior. In contrast, companies argue that enforcement agencies must demonstrate that discounts lead to anticompetitive effects before imposing penalties.

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